Little Buttons Outtakes
by ChocolateLover82
Summary: Missing scenes and different POVs from 'Little Buttons'. AH, ExB.
1. Drizzles

**Hello once again, sweet ladies.**

**Well, the title of this is pretty self explanatory. So ... outtakes. More info at the bottom.**

**Many thanks to my beta Songster for her help :-)**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Let's see what this is about ...**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

'**Drizzles'**

"Are you ok with taking care of the business while I'm out, Bella?"

"Sure _Monsieur _Grenier." I smile at him. He always asks this when he leaves the shop, even though I take care of it most of the time.

"Alright, dear. If I don't get back before closing time, you just go ahead, ok?"

"Sure." I watch him walk away toward the fountain. I know he's meeting _Madam_ Dubois. He always does on Saturday afternoons, which is why I always giggle when he informs me he has to leave early on these days. He truly thinks I don't know.

"Have fun."

He gives me this smile that says he sure will. He's nice, but that was too much information for me. He's 65 years old, there are things I just don't want to know. Ever.

I go back to what I'm doing, just finishing some orders for Claudine on Monday. She's such a lovely lady, usually talking my ear off about her life and her friends. She's always trying to introduce me to her nephew. From the photos she's showed me, and boy those were a lot of photos, he looks handsome and seems nice, but there is something that's not there. I just can't see myself with him. It's nothing personal, but I can't feel _it_. The _it_ my Mom often spoke of when she mentioned the first time she met my Dad.

I have no idea what _it_ is or how to find it.

Soon, I'm done with everything and once again my mind begins to wander. My hands itch to draw something, to finish some of the designs I've been working on lately. The desire is both exhilarating and nerve wracking at the same time.

I love letting my hands guide the pencil to form the shapes that my brain comes up with. Curves and lines, thin and thick, long and short. I almost feel possessed when I'm like this, seeing the images behind my eyes and moments later, seeing them dancing on the paper in front of me. I've always loved creating things and seeing them come to life, it always gives me this small twist in my stomach that I simply love.

However, when the high of it all is gone, that is when the memories come back. Seeing a page full of drawings takes me back to my college years and that inevitably floods my mind with the images of how it ended. It's so bittersweet to have this sketchbook full, almost to the brim, with designs and small doodles, but I can't tear myself away from it, I can't _not_ give in to the pleasure that drawing always brings. I deal with the low that comes afterwards alone in my apartment.

I pick up my sketchbook from under the counter and start drawing. For those short seconds when the page is blank, the excitement of seeing how it will look when I'm done makes me forget everything and just keep going.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

I straighten myself up and massage my sore muscles, I haven't noticed how long I've been hunched over the pages, but now my neck and arms feel in knots. I check the clock on the wall above the door and see that I've been here for over an hour. Nobody's come here since _Monsieur_ Grenier left, which is not that unusual, Saturdays are very slow and I spend my time either finishing orders or drawing.

I realize that I'm hungry and I head to the only place that always makes me smile just thinking about it: '_Mon Petit Paradis_'. Alice's bakery. I can't believe my friend sometimes. I knew she'd be an amazing pastry chef, but her creations in that bakery are simply ridiculously delicious.

She was born into a family that loves food and everything that goes with it. There are chefs, bakers, sommeliers, food critics, everything. Her grandma, Nana Addie – short for Adèle - owned this bakery for most of her life before Alice took over.

She had been over the moon when Alice said she wanted to run it. Nana had been sick and worried about who in the family would do it after her death. Alice had always been her favorite and Nana taught her all her secret recipes over the years. It was almost natural that she would be her successor.

Alice went to culinary school here in Paris and in the meantime, she learned to run the bakery with Nana supervising her. That was quite the task right there, Alice is not the most organized person in the world, and I always laughed when she called me to complain that she still had no idea how to handle the spreadsheet that held the orders.

She often sent them to me and I tried to make sense of them for her. That had been my first introduction to French. Not fun at all. I made her pay me in pastries whenever she visited me in New York.

I leave the place just as it is; I know nobody will enter while I'm gone. That's the nice thing about this neighborhood, we all know each other, so we take care of each other. We feel almost like a family. I only debate for a second about leaving my sketchbook just like this, open on the counter, but then decide to just go to the bakery, no one will care about it anyway.

The sun is bright today, and the square is full of kids splashing in the fountain and running around. From the corner of my eye, I catch a flash of red, shining under the sun, but before I can turn to see what it is, I arrive in front of the bakery. It was probably just some kids.

I enter and see the place is packed as always. They all turn for a second to see who entered, then return to talking. I have no idea who they think will come through the doors. It kind of unnerves me.

People come from all over Paris to eat here and the waiting line is ridiculous sometimes. I enter a little smugly, knowing that, if I wanted, I could skip the long line and even enter the kitchen to fetch myself something.

I usually don't do that. It's a pain in the ass to wait in line for anything, and I feel like these people don't deserve to have their noses rubbed in it. Although the temptation is high today, it's too hot and I already want to go back outside.

"Bella!" I hear my name above the noise from the people talking. I'd recognized it anywhere.

"_Bonjour_, Henri." I greet him from the other side of the counter.

Henri is such a sweet guy, very handsome as well: tall with not too much muscle; jet black hair falling down over beautiful blue eyes when it's not tied in a short ponytail. He has one of the brightest smiles I've ever seen, and he always blushes a little when he sees me.

He's funny and witty, and he bakes. What more can a girl want? He's quite the catch. He's just not my type, if I have any. He also dates a lot so I don't see his interest in me that unusual. I see him only as a friend and have made it clear to him but still, he blushes? I have no idea what to think about that.

It doesn't help my case that I often blush myself, it's not like I can stop this thing. Stupid blush.

"What would you like today, ma belle?" He asks in that mix of English and French accent he has. It always makes the girls melt for him. He smiles and looks only at me, forgetting his other customers. They, in turn, glare at me for taking their turn. Fantastic.

"I can wait, no worries."

"No, no, no. You can have whatever you want. Alice would kill me if she knew that I made you wait." He shakes his head, probably remembering the time when Alice gave him a long talk about how I shouldn't be kept waiting.

"Ugh, you're right. Just give me some _canelé_." He works fast and in no time, I'm eating this fantastic delicacy.

I debate about going outside again where it is cooler, but now I want to stay here talking to the people who work at the bakery. Over the past years, and with me living upstairs, I consider them my family. We celebrate birthdays together; I console them during break-ups. I can't imagine my life here in Paris without them.

So I stay, hot and all. We talk while I finish my pastry and I even help them sometimes. I love to come here and do that from time to time. I know I live above and the sweet scent always fills my place, but the smell of warm sugar always makes me feel at home, so I can never say no to it.

It's funny, growing up, baking was never really my thing. I always preferred to draw and create music. Alice spent a lot of time at my house and she made us her Guinea pigs. We never complained of course, especially Dad, so I never really had to learn how to bake. I knew how to cook and that was put to test when Mom got sick, I did all the chores at home so she would rest and get better. She never did get better.

When I arrived here in Paris, drawing was the last thing I wanted to do. For weeks I just stayed in Alice's apartment, curled up in bed. She and Jasper would visit and so would Emmett, whenever he was in Paris, but I didn't feel like doing anything. Soon though, the scents from the bakery won me over, so I ventured down there.

At the time, Alice was pregnant with Aimée and even though she usually spent a lot of time at the bakery, she had to cut back at one point. She asked me to help her with the more boring aspects of the business, calling suppliers, making orders, etc., and as a way to thank her for letting me stay in her apartment, I did. Damn Alice knew what she was doing, it's impossible to be broody in a bakery, the sugar alone makes you feel energized. I surrounded myself with the people who worked there and in time I watched them bake and learned their secrets. Soon enough I was making my own creations. Not as good as Alice's but good enough for me.

Baking took my mind off things at a time when all I wanted to do was wallow and now, four years later, every time I bake my mood improves. Another reason to be thankful to have Alice in my life.

"Ok, I think I'm leaving now. I have a job you know." I tease Henri.

"Of course, _ma belle_, come back soon." He fixes his eyes on me, once again, ignoring the rest of the people.

"I will. See you around."

I walk towards the shop and let the sun warm my skin. I'm wearing a light dress today, so I feel the sun on my face, neck and arms. Too bad I can't actually tan.

I walk across the square, passing near the fountain, letting the fresh mist the falling water forms around it, cool my skin. Such a relief from the heat of the day. I stop there with my eyes closed for a few moments, letting the tiny little droplets sprinkle my exposed skin. It's there, with my eyes closed and facing the water, that I hear a sweet masculine voice ... curse.

"Shit."

I turn to the voice and watch this guy to my left stand up and retrieve something near the fountain. He simply stares at it once he picks it up. He looks so mesmerized by it that I can't help myself and inch closer to where he is. Like that, I'm able to make out what he's holding: a button, a little button resting on the palm of his hand.

I move my eyes and just watch _him_ this time. He's tall and not overly muscled; I can tell from the shirt he's wearing, a little tight on his body. His profile shows that he's a handsome man, but from here I can't quite make out his features.

I feel like a stalker now.

My eyes widen when I notice the odd color of his hair and I recognize it from the flash of red I saw earlier, but on closer inspection I see that I've been wrong. It's not red, well, not _just_red. With the sun this bright at this hour, his hair shines in streaks of browns, reds, golds, all in different intensities. It makes me want to see how it would look under different lights.

He's still staring at the button and after finishing my assessment of him, I see the loose cuff on his arm. Oh, that's where the button must have come from.

With an amused smile, I finally let myself be known.

"It's not going to attach itself you know, no matter how much you look at it."

He turns and looks at me. I have to hold the gasp that makes its way out of my mouth. Standing here in front of me is the most beautiful and sad looking man I had ever seen. Incredibly dark green eyes that, just like his hair, have streaks of gold swimming in them. The green reminds me of my days in Forks and how the trees looked after a rainy day: brighter, cleaner.

Soft and slightly pouty lips that beg to be kissed and tasted. I wonder how they'd feel on my skin.

Silky hair that I can't wait to run my hands through. I bet is really soft against my fingers.

And his body, well, his body is certainly better than I assessed earlier. Wide shoulders and firm muscles in his uncovered forearms. I wonder how they'd feel under the pads of my fingers. Pale skin that, just like mine, is now covered in a light sheen of droplets.

My body heats at the sight of him, standing next to me with a look of confusion. He looks so lost.

But most of all, I'm surprised to see that standing there, with a button in his palm, is none other than Edward Cullen.

I may not have been actively involved in the world of fashion for years now, but that doesn't mean I'm completely out of it either. I read the magazines, I follow the trends, I even attend the occasional fashion show. So I know who the designers are and their work.

Unfortunately, in the case of Edward Cullen, fashion is not all what magazines talk about.

I used to see him in the social pages with his wife all the time. It was then that he looked happy, always smiling and wrapping his arm around her, but something always looked off about her. She never looked at him the same way he did her. You could almost _feel_ his adoration for her jump out of the pictures. In turn, she looked to be looking at something better out of the frame of the picture.

When she died, and everything that happened prior to her death, made it to the media, I felt sorry for him. Such a happy and beautiful man going through this. It certainly changed him. He never smiled or looked at ease in the pictures ever again, even with all the gorgeous models often by his side.

Looking at him right now though, seeing him just freaking staring at a button, I realize that there is so much about him that I don't know. He doesn't seem to be the asshole the papers make him out to be. No asshole fixes his eye on a simple button for that long.

"Uh?" His face looks so confused and almost like he just woke up from a dream. I just have to laugh at it. A real laugh.

"I said that button is not going to attach itself back to your shirt, just because you look at it like that. You have to sew it back. You know how to sew, right?" I'm teasing of course, but he doesn't have to know that yet.

It makes him laugh in return. Such a beautiful laugh coming across his lips: carefree, clean. He looks so young like that, laughing in this bright day, not like all those pictures of him at events and such.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to laugh at you. But my answer is yes, I do know how to sew a button."

I look at him for a moment. There is more than meets the eye about him, that's for sure. He doesn't look anything like the man I've seen in the media. He always wears a frown in those pictures and looks like he doesn't want to be there. Now? He looks like he's having ... fun? Could it be? Could the brooding Edward Cullen be having fun simply hanging around near a fountain? It looks like it.

I'm curious to see what will happen now, to see how carefree he could get. I decide right there not to let him know that I'm aware of who he really is. He looks like he could use a break from it all. God knows I've felt that way.

"Come with me. I'll sew your button back, even though I am tempted to see you do it for yourself," I offer.

"You don't have to, really. It's just a shirt, I have plenty of them back at home and like I said, I can sew."

"It's no problem, you see; I'm a seamstress and I work at this small shop right across from the square. Right over there." I point to it. Suddenly I'm happy that he might get to see where I work. I have no idea why that makes me this excited.

It's a little hard to read him, he looks like he might bolt at any second, but at the same time, his body is turned my way, like he really wants to stay here. For some reason, I don't want him to go yet.

He also looks confused. It's probably the fact that I told him I'm a seamstress. People always look at me curiously, like I'm an oddity or something.

"I know, I know. A seamstress, it's weird. Everyone gives me that look." I roll my eyes and smile a little hesitantly. Would he go? Maybe he doesn't trust me to sew his shirt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. It's just seamstresses are hard to find these days; they usually work for design houses. I think it is a very unique work, interesting."

"Don't worry about it." I dismiss. "Interesting? Well, I don't know about that, but I do get to meet very interesting people. The owner has had the place for over thirty years, so it's mostly old clientele, very loyal with great stories about their younger days." People that often feel like crazy aunts and uncles, a family. A nosey bunch that will make me retell this encounter a million times after Edward is gone. I know _Madam_ Laroche is watching from her store.

"So, do you want me to work my magic on your shirt? If you're worried that I might ruin it, don't be. I would never offer to sew a button on a $600 men's shirt if I didn't know what I was doing." I try to ease him a little. If anything, I take pride in my work.

"How did you know-?"

"I work with fabrics all the time. I need to know this stuff, you know."

"It really doesn't matter, but I'll take your offer just because I know it will drive me crazy until I get home. So lead the way."

I lead him to the shop and can't stop myself from checking to see if he's following, almost tripping on my way there. When I see him checking me out I just have to blush. Edward Cullen checking me out? And I thought this day would be boring.

"So, um ... before anything, shouldn't we know each other's names first? I mean, you _are _sewing my button back on. I don't let just anyone do that." He says.

I can't believe my manners. My Dad would _not_ be proud of that.

"Oh, right. I'm Bella." I extend my hand to him.

"Hello, Bella, I am Edward."

My eyes widen when our hands touch and I probably look like a fish out of water, but I can't help myself. So warm and soft, even though I can feel small callouses on the pads of his fingers. They are not rough by any means, and I'm sure they come from years of working with his hands, pricking his skin with needles, getting cut by scissors. The warm sensation travels up my hand and extends everywhere.

I suddenly want to feel those hands on my body, sliding up and down my sides, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

Where did that come from?

Crap, I hope I didn't moan at that image.

"Well, hello Edward, let me go get my things."

I practically run to the back of the shop. I have to get myself together; I almost made a fool out of myself out there. What must he think of me now? Just staring at him like that. He's probably used to it, but still.

I take out my sewing box and check if I have everything I need. It's useless to do so, I _always _have what I need in there; I just need time before going back out there. After a few more calming breaths, I make my way outside.

"Ok, I'm back. Do you want to-" I stop dead on my tracks. He's looking at my sketchbook? Nobody sees my work, I haven't let anyone see it for years and now this famous designer is browsing through the pages? I feel so small and insecure for a second. What if my work is not as good as it used to be?

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to-" He tries to apologize.

"It's ok. I just don't let anyone see my stuff. I have a lot of free time here, so I need to keep busy." I don't even think about it and practically run over to him and take the book out of his hands. The second I put it safely under the counter, relief washes over me.

"May I just say they are incredible? You capture shapes and forms perfectly."

"Thank you, Edward. But it's just doodling, nothing more." I appreciate his compliments, but I don't want to hear them. That part of my life is over and done with. These sketches are just for me and to let ideas out of my head. Nothing more will come from them except a few garments I have in my studio. Nobody will see them.

"Bell-"

"Do you want to take off your shirt or I can work with it on you? It's only the sleeve and I'll be fast." I cut him off.

"Oh, on, if it's possible with the shirt on." Thank God he said that.

I start working on the shirt and see him appraising my sewing box. Without so much thought, I tell him the story of where I got it and my Mom's death. I have no idea what comes over me, but I feel comfortable with him. Maybe is the fact that we've both suffered through loss that I feel he understands. Kindred spirits of sorts.

We keep talking for a while and then fall into a comfortable silence. I could truly just sit here with him all afternoon. All thoughts about him seeing my sketchbook are forgotten.

When he mentions Alice and her bakery, I have to smile. Pastries always bring people together, but when he mentions the 'pastry sniffing flowers', I'm absolutely floored by the comment. I had a very similar thought the first time I saw the apartment all those years ago. I never thought someone might look at it like that as well.

I wonder what he'd think if he knew those flowers almost died when I didn't even have the drive to water them years ago. They turned out to be tough little sniffling flowers.

And here I was, thinking that I was the crazy one..Apparently, I wasn't, and that little peek into his mind, makes me smile.

What also makes me smile is that he also seems to be a blurter.

"God, you're incredible." I'm inclined not to believe it, he must say it left and right, but instead of telling him that, I say the first thing that comes to mind. That I think the same way about him. Of course, I also blush.

I keep on with my work and as I finish, I feel his stare on me. I know he's been doing that all this time. Somehow feeling his eyes on me makes me imagine how his hands would feel on my skin and it takes all I have in me not to stare back.

All too soon, I finish.

"Ok, all set then."

He stares at the button with such a reverence, like it's the most precious thing in the world. He's appraising the job and I hold my breath waiting for his conclusion.

"It's perfect, Bella." I give a sigh of relief.

"Glad you like it. It's a little hard to get that specific color, but I managed, Mr. Cullen."

He stiffens.

Shit. What have I done? I let my guard down and now he probably thinks that I've been lying to him all this time. I can see it in his panicked eyes, but what breaks me is the look of utter pain I see in them. It's no wonder, based on what his wife did to him, that he might consider this another betrayal from someone he just met. How broken is he? And this is only from what I've read on the media, what really happened must've been much worse.

I'll probably never see him again after today.

"How do you know who I am?" God, he sounds so weak.

"We all know who you are, Edward. You're constantly in fashion and social magazines. You're hard to miss." I try to smile, but I'm aware that he's turned toward the doors. He's ready to bolt.

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I get what fame can do to someone. It traps you and makes people think they know you and only want to see what they can take from you. I just wanted to _give _you something. Peace. Peace by letting you be who you wanted to be for a few moments. Mr. Cullen or Edward. You looked so happy out there."

I see him debating his next move. Leave? Stay? Trust? So many emotions flashing in his troubled eyes. I want to take away that dark cloud over them, I want to see them shine and be clear like they were outside under the sun.

After what seems too long, he finally looks like he made a decision.

"Thank you, Bella." He smiles and it's just as real as the carefree laughter I heard from him earlier. He's taking a big leap of faith, here with me. I suddenly feel a pressure on the left side of my chest. Pride? Yes, I'm proud of him, I barely know him, but I feel it anyway.

His phone interrupts our moment and he apologizes for having to leave, he looks sad about it. Could he really want to stay? I certainly don't want him to go.

"Thank you for sewing the little button. How much-?"

"Don't even think about it, Edward." I interrupt. "You made my afternoon much more interesting, that's payment enough." No way he's paying me for this.

"I can't do that. How about I buy you some pastry from '_Mon Petit Paradis_'?" He wants to meet again ... for pastries of all things. My smile is impossibly big at the idea.

"I'd love that."

We exchange numbers and full names this time, with him saying he'll be calling on Monday. Just like the school girl I'm channeling at the moment, I'm pretty sure I'll be waiting for his call all day. I feel like rolling my eyes at the thought. Alice will be thrilled about this.

Before leaving, he leans toward me and looks like he might kiss my cheek. I flush at that and at the same time, God, I hope he does. Ever since I saw those pretty lips, I can't wait to feel them on me. However, he changes his mind at the last minute, or maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part, and instead he extends his hand to shake mine.

Very different from the kiss I thought I might be receiving, but the touch of his skin on mine once again sets my skin on fire. I can't truly complain about it.

"Goodbye, Bella. I'll call you."

"Goodbye, Edward. I'm looking forward to it."

And I watch him leave, sighing like a love-struck idiot when he rounds the corner.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

"Oh my God, Bella. That is great! Dammit, _one_day I don't go to the bakery and that happens." Alice groans.

I called her and told her all about my afternoon with Edward. She sighs and 'oohs' and 'ahs' every other second. It took me a freaking hour to tell her everything. My encounter with Edward didn't even last that long. Or maybe it did, I have no idea.

Edward. Even thinking his name makes my heart beat faster. What the hell?

"And he's prettier than his pictures?"

"So much more," I sigh. Again.

"Oh Bella, I'm so happy for you. Finally letting someone in."

"Alice, we are not gonna date. It was just a short meeting. He said he'd call on Monday, but maybe he never will and he was just being polite." After getting home later in the day, thoughts of never seeing him again invade my mind. That makes me sad. Maybe he _was _being polite.

"Don't think like that, sweetie. Yeah, you may not marry the guy, but you are putting yourself out there. And that's big." She says rather sadly.

I get her, I really do, she and Emmett are constantly worried about me. They are always encouraging me to start drawing again, to date again, even if it doesn't lead anywhere. They just want me to go back to the living. I hate that there's still a reason for them to worry.

It's not easy though. Drawing is something so intimate, it can't be forced or rushed, the mood comes whenever it wants to. Unfortunately, for me, those moments are few and far between.

As for dating, well, that's even more complicated. Even when there is an interest on the guy's part, I can't seem to make myself want to date him. I'm friends with guys, I just don't see any romantic interactions with them.

"I know." I sigh. "Let's just wait and see, ok?" With that, I hope we change the subject.

"Ok then." I can tell she will drop it for now, but will get back to it when she gets the chance. I can't be mad at her, she cares.

"Oh! I almost forgot, Jasper asked me to tell you that he will be playing at the club next week, if you wanna join him."

I think for a second and, just by thinking about the piano, I know I already made up my mind.

"That sounds like fun. Yeah, tell him I will." That lifts up my mood.

I love playing the piano, unfortunately, I don't have one here in my apartment. So whenever I get the chance I just take it. It has been a while since the last time I did and thinking about playing again has me all bouncy. Letting myself go in the music always has a calming effect on me.

We say goodbye and I promise to call her again with news about Edward. I roll my eyes at her enthusiasm, but I smile none the less. It feels like we're in high school again.

I make my way to my couch and take out my sketchbook, it has a few blank pages that just beg to be filled. And I do.

I sit there sketching until is time to go to bed. I take a look at these last few pages and notice an instant change in the way the lines move and come together. They look almost .. happy? How ridiculous: happy lines.

I fully expect to feel down again after all this drawing, as usual, but thoughts of my time in New York are not at all what fill my head when I lay in bed later on.

Instead, my mind is full with images of bright green eyes with gold streaks, eyes that change color under the light and with different moods: brighter when happy, dull when hurt.

But it's a feeling, not an image that's the last thing I remember before falling asleep. Something that, strangely enough, starts to warm my chest, even making me rub my hand against it. A feeling that is both foreign and welcomed.

A feeling that seems a lot like hope.

* * *

><p><strong>And there ya go. Bella was just as nervous about their first time meeting, she was better at being cool about it though, LOL. That's how we roll...<br>**

**Ok, into more technical stuff: **

****- I don't know how many will there be. As it is, I have four already written, so you'll get at least that many. Well, duh.****

**- This doesn't have a posting schedule, so they'll come when they'll come. Also, a few are from chapters of LB that I haven't posted yet, so you'll have to wait, lol.  
><strong>

**- When I do post them, I'll probably do it on the weeks when I don't update LB and I'll give you a teaser on the Monday of said week. The teasers will only be pics, since I can't have you knowing the POVs or scenes beforehand, lol.**

**If there is anything you'd like to see, fell free to let me know, maybe we're thinking the same thing. Yes, I'm talking to you, Lizzard43. LOL ;-)**

**And that's it for today. ****I'll see ya around, sweeties.**


	2. Rolls

**Hey**** there.**

**Yes,**** another ****chapter ****:) ****Glad ****you ****liked ****the ****first ****one, ****as ****I ****said, ****more ****to ****come.**

**Ok, ****this ****is ****an**** outtake ****for ****Chapter**** 10: 'Kisses', ****when ****Bella ****meets ****Rose ****and ****Marie ****for ****the ****first ****time. ****There ****are ****a ****few**** flashbacks ****(italics, ****present ****tense) ****and ****this ****takes ****place ****at ****the ****end ****of**** that ****day.**

**Thanks ****to ****my**** beta ****Songster ****for ****her ****help ****:-)**

**I**** still ****don****'****t ****own ****Twilight.**

**Let****'****s**** see ****who****'****s ****talking ****today...**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

'**Rolls'**

I lay here in bed with my daughter at my side, her soft snores and quiet breathing filling the air. I can't stop watching her, especially not after today, a day full of memories of the life I had before she was born.

The day had started innocently enough, with me making cinnamon rolls for my guests and nervous as hell at meeting this new woman in Edward's life.

I smile. Edward.

He's been through so much in the last two years: he hurt, he broke, he changed. It's so strange sometimes to think of the man he was before that happened and the man he is now. Before, he was happy, playful and so full of plans. Now, he's barely surviving and leaves everyone outside.

It was really painful to see how he pushed Mom and Dad away, and all because he felt unworthy of their love. Like they'd love him any less after Renata. What a load of crap.

Yet I understood what he was doing and why. He hated himself for what his actions towards Renata had led her to do. For him, it made sense. I knew that pushing him would've been a mistake with him in such state; he wasn't ready at the time and he would've withdrawn even harder. It still didn't stop me from making him be part of Marie's life. I knew he would've regretted missing out on her life even more.

Even today he still sees himself as someone who can only hurt others. I don't agree at all, but that is his logic and it was the only way he found to cope with everything.

He's so blind when it comes to himself; he can't see that there is not a single mean bone in him. The way he took care of me and Marie, the way he still blames himself for Renata. Everything speaks of how much stronger he is than he thinks, and that he cares for others without even thinking about it. He just does.

How could he be the monster that he thinks he is? How could he not see who he truly is?

I don't think he's a monster, something I've told him countless times, but ever since Bella entered his life, I'm glad he's finally starting to believe it.

I smile just thinking about the way my brother simply shines whenever he talks about her. His eyes get this bright glint in them and the green turns ridiculously alive, his cheeks even get a little flushed. I think it's cute, but of course I won't tell him that.

What Renata put him through was simply evil. Instead of letting him go she stayed and broke him even more, not only in their marriage, but also in his career. He's worked so hard to get to where he is and to have her almost destroy that and pretty much laugh in his face ... I sometimes find it surprising that he didn't fall apart beyond repair.

I had been nervous for him at the time, I still am, he's strong yeah, but so very fragile at the same time. I'm scared that something might make him go back to where we started two years ago, perhaps even worse now with Bella in his life. He feels so much more for her than he ever did for Renata

That's why I needed to meet her, not only because I wanted to know the woman who's giving me my brother back, but also, because I wanted to see if she could handle what's still to come. From what he's said in our talks, she's also a strong person. And after seeing her today, I have no doubts about it. I just hope it will be enough when he comes down from his high. I'd like to think things will always be this happy for him, for them, but I know they won't, he will come down and will Bella be there for him as well?

God, I hope so.

When they got here today, I watched them from the windows, holding hands and Edward running his thumb over her skin there, trying to ease her nervousness. It was like I was seeing a different man in front of my eyes: so calm and supportive, so gentle and loving.

God, my brother.

They looked so cute like that, it was hard not to smile at them. He never did that with Renata. She was always the life of the party and didn't like intimate displays of affection in front of her friends. Edward embarrassed her at times and he didn't see it.

Bella had seemed so nervous before even entering the house. It calmed me to know that at least I wasn't the only one feeling like that.

_"Rose." He greets me with a hug and kisses. Just like when we were kids._

_"I was starting to think you got cold feet." I truly was, it seemed this meeting might not ever take place. Anything can scare him off, more when he feels he has a lot to lose._

_"What do you mean? We're right on time." He checks his watch but then understands that him being late was not what I was talking about._

_"Never again, sis," he says close to me and I relax at his words. He's trying, I hope he succeeds, but he's trying._

_"And you must be Bella." I take a step forward and when I see her clear eyes, the eyes of someone who could never hurt anyone intentionally, I don't know if this eases my worries or makes me even more terrified about Edward. She'll take care of him, but there is potential for great pain. For both of them._

_Yet the fact that she is here, meeting his family says that she's strong and willing to face anything for him, just as I know Edward would in return. Maybe that will be enough. I can't help myself and I move forward to hug her, thanking her for so many things, half of which she doesn't even know._

_With tears in our eyes, I then link our arms and take her inside. There is so much to talk about still._

The key pendant she gave me later nearly broke me.

I had to sit down to even think straight. I couldn't believe she got all that from a simple article she read God knows how long ago. Only someone with a similar experience might've. Yes, Edward was right, she went through something similar.

I stared at her for a few moments after that. Who is this girl? Hope swells my heart at seeing her in front of me. Could this be the girl that brings me back my brother? She already is, but how far will this go? Is Bella the woman that will change my brother's life?

All the memories came flooding back when I stared at it. The tears, the cries, the blood. It's hard to push those memories to the back of my mind. I see Royce everyday when I look at Marie after all. He's there in some of her features, some of her traits.

That used to hurt, a lot, and that made me feel guilty as hell. I felt like I couldn't even look at her without remembering all those times he took things into his own hands. All those times he had to 'rectify' whatever flaw he saw in me. How could it hurt to look at my own daughter? The guilt was greater than the pain those first three months after she was born.

Mom and Edward took care of her, they did everything that I should've been doing. The only thing I did for her was feed her. Mom insisted that I breastfeed her but she was always the one taking her to me. It was awful, not having the connection with Marie. It was something that I had to do, nothing more. I now know that Mom insisted also because she was sure it would help create a bond with my baby. In a way, I was almost intent in not letting that happen, for that bond to grow. I feel so ashamed now.

It all changed that day Edward was late getting home to take care of her. The day that changed my life in the best way possible: the day I truly became a Mom to my daughter.

I close my eyes and remember the warmth of her tiny hand touching my breast while she fed, how her breathing and sucking noises were all I could hear, how her big eyes were all I could see looking up at me. It was natural, it was easy... it was love. Ever since then, I put her first, above everything else.

I shift a little in Marie's bed, trying not to wake her up. She looks so peaceful like this. Nothing like the little girl that bounces from room to room every day.

I told Bella why the key means so much to me. I haven't thought about it for a while now. It's not like everything takes me back to those years, but, from time to time, little things make me shudder.

After Royce was sentenced to jail, I could finally breath, finally move on without the fear of seeing him at my door one night. All those months of sleepless nights, of recounting that awful night time after time, paid off in the end. I could go on with my life with my daughter now.

It had been easier said than done though. I'd been able to be strong for Marie, to teach her to be strong as well, but that hasn't translated to my romantic life. I still flinch when a man comes near me, sweat when their eyes linger on me a little longer than necessary. I can't help it and I hate it. I hate that I'll probably never feel the warm hands of another man on my body, the beat of his heartbeat against my ear.

How frustrating that my body closes off and won't allow contact.

Later in the afternoon, I let them wander around the living room for a little while. I watched them from the kitchen in the meantime. Neither noticed anything but each other. The way he watched her was simply ... beautiful. I had no other words for it, and that's saying a lot since I'm a writer. But what I could see doesn't need big words or embellished sentences. It's simple and real and natural ... he's in love. He doesn't know it yet, but he is.

It's incredible how she can read others so easily. I saw that a while later, when she won over Marie with music. She saw how distressed Marie was by her presence and how affected Edward would be if things turned for the worse. Just like Edward, she cares for others a great deal, probably more than she cares about herself.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

I head for my bedroom to change clothes and then go back to Marie's room. I can't sleep away from her, not tonight. Not yet.

I silently lay next to my daughter. She moves towards me and I carefully circle my arm around her. I just need to feel her safe next to me. My baby.

Closing my eyes I remember the talk I had with Bella while Edward played with Marie in the backyard.

_"He looks so happy," Bella says by my side. We are watching Edward play with Marie. She always gets him to play with her, even the girliest of games._

_"Yes, he is. He's such a kid when he's with her." Maybe missing all those things when he was sick as a child makes him be more playful with Marie now._

_"It's nice seeing him like that. I've seen his more playful side, but there is always a faint sadness behind that glint in his eyes. Almost like he's not completely happy."_

_I smile sadly, she's right._

_"He smiles more these days. I'm not even sure he realizes it half the time."_

_"I've noticed that as well. I just didn't know it was that uncommon." And now she's the one smiling._

_"It is, it was." I notice Marie serving her imaginary tea. Edward always makes a show of drinking, even 'burning his tongue'._

_"He hasn't told you about what happened, right?" I know that for a fact._

_"No. I want to give him time to trust me. He knows I've heard of his story, I mean, who hasn't? But I know there's more and he'll tell me when he's ready."_

_"That could take a long time or happen tomorrow, but after seeing him in the last few weeks, I can tell that time is fast approaching. He's beating himself up for it. He wants to tell you his side, but he's afraid you'll judge him."_

_"Judge him? I could never do that." She looks shocked that Edward might think that._

_"But he doesn't believe it. A lot of people did and withdrew from his life. The rest who stayed? He pushed away."_

_We stay in silence for a few moments, watching him with Marie._

_"I know what is like to lose someone." She breaks the silence. "The circumstances were different, but I know what is like to just want to crawl up in bed and never leave. I'm sad to think that's what he did. He hid." Bella never takes her eyes away from him._

_"You're making him come out of that hiding place. For the first time since Renata died, he's smiling and creating not just to meet deadlines, but because he's inspired." She blushes and returns a small smile._

_"He's doing the same for me too."_

_I watch her for a minute. I can see sadness in her eyes as well, but just like with Edward, it goes away the second she meets his eyes. They are each other's havens, refuges from the pain they both probably recount everyday. I have Marie to make me forget. These two have each other._

_I just wish he would open up to her, let her in. I know he wants to and he will at some point, but it still makes me sad that he doesn't let people see who he really is: funny, clever and a million things more._

_I see Bella from the corner of my eye as we both watch Edward and Marie play. He's good for her too._

_"After Royce's attack," I shake my head, "I was pretty much useless. I couldn't move, couldn't think, anything. I couldn't even put myself together for my own daughter. All I wanted was the pain to go away, for the last years to disappear. Of course that didn't happen and that made me depressed even more." Will the pain ever stop?_

_"It was at that time that Edward stepped up, him and Mom took care of me and Marie like no one else. He was great with her. He talked to her, changed her diapers, he even sang to her these made up lullabies." I laugh a little, he has a horrible singing voice._

_"He was surrounded by beautiful things and women all day long, yet he came come to be spit at, thrown up over and even pooped on." I chuckle thinking about those times. I couldn't appreciate them back then unfortunately._

_"That last night with Royce was the worst of my life. The pain, the screaming, all I thought about was protecting my baby, nothing else. She was the only one that mattered and that made Royce even angrier. I was choosing her over him, I was willing to put up a fight and not let him hurt me like other times." It all went down hill from there. He was furious._

_I feel Bella's hand in mine. I hadn't noticed she was closer to me now. Every time I've told this story it's like it's not even me telling it. I can see the images in my mind and I just retell them, like they happened to someone else. Not this time though._

_"I can't remember much about that night, I only had the strength to call Edward and then I have flashes of lights and voices. His face looked devastated." Tears are running down my cheeks now. I wipe them and stare at my wet hand. How long has it been since I've cried for that night?_

_"My baby, my baby. That's all I had the strength to say over and over. Thank God they saved her but after that I just ... gave up. In my mind, she was safe then, safer being away from me" I take a big breath._

_"I couldn't hold her, truly care for her, or even calm her when she cried. I was the one that put her in that position. I should've walked away earlier from Royce; I didn't deserve my little angel._

_"I spent months like that, without even being able to look at her. Mom and Edward brought her to me and I just stared at her. I knew they would take care of her._

_"One day, she was crying and crying and I just wanted her to stop. It broke my heart to listen to her, and I wanted Edward to arrive soon but he didn't. After a while, I got up and took her in arms for the first time since she was born, willingly." Her crying was breaking my heart._

"_She was so little and light in my arms. It was amazing how she fit in them, against me. She kept crying and crying and then she naturally leaned towards my breast. I exposed it to her and she started sucking greedily, her small hands touching my skin._

"_I had done that dozens of time over the past months but that day, it was the first that I let myself truly enjoy the moment. I was feeding my daughter. I was awed at how my body was made for this and I had taken it for granted all along._

"_I couldn't get my eyes away from her. Her pretty nose, her chubby cheeks, her blue eyes. She was mine and, at that moment,so fragile and tiny, exposed to the world. Anything could've happened to her and that would've been my fault, I left her to fend for herself."_

_I vowed that day to never turn away from her like that again, and to teach her be strong._

_"God, Rose." I hug her, she looks worse than me._

_"So you see Bella, you and I are kind of similar. We're living in a different way after something tragic happened to us. I'd like to say we're strong because of it, but that doesn't mean we're not weak at times. For Edward, it makes him want to protect you at all costs, even from himself. It gives him some control of the situation."_

_"I know what you mean." She chuckles at that._

_"Just know he's a good guy. I think you've seen that already, how good he really is. He needs someone strong, because even when he already is, he doesn't believe it."_

_"I know, his wife did a number on him. He doubts himself at every step."_

_"Wouldn't you if someone cheated on you?"_

_"I would, I just hate that he sees himself in such a bad light."_

_"He's trying though, he really is."_

_"I know."_

_We stay in silence after that, both of us thinking about our words. We are both worried about Edward and willing to wait for him to come to us when he's ready._

_Even if for some reason they don't work out in the end, I have to thank her for being the force that made him try._

I stare at the ceiling and then close my eyes. Today had been a little more serious than I wanted it to be; then again, things hardly ever work the way we plan them.

I shift and hold Marie closer to me, I always feel so calm with her like this.

The last thoughts that dance in my head just before sleep claims me are that Bella's presence in Edward's life might end up changing _all_ of us, not just him as I thought before. The change already started around us, my parents are happier now that Edward is starting to let them back into his life.

Bella Swan came into our lives to change things and I can't say I'm sorry about that.

* * *

><p><strong>And<strong>** there ****you ****go, ****Rose ****seeing ****things**** that ****Edward ****realizes ****much**** later. *Face Palm*  
><strong>

**And**** Bella ****Swan ****is ****certainly ****changing**** lives ****;-)**

**Thanks ****for ****reading, ****sweeties. ****I****'****ll ****see ****ya ****around.**


	3. Meetings

**Hi all.**

**Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, this is another outtake. I'm not ready to give these kids up just yet. I have several outtakes outlined, so you'll get those in time.**

**As usual, many thanks to my beta Songster, 'cause, well, duh.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**This outtake goes along with Chapter 14: 'Sorbets', when Edward was sick. I kinda robbed you of a meeting there, lol.**

**Here we go, let's see what happens while Edward was sleeping…**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

'**Meetings'**

I finish wrapping up these packages I need to send out today. Dolls, clothes and these hairpins that will look lovely on my great-nieces back in Chicago.

I sigh while I finish arranging the silk ribbons.

Where did time fly? It was not that long ago when Carlisle and I visited my family back in the States to meet the two beautiful babies. The last two additions to our family since Marie was born.

And now here I am, putting the finishing touches on the presents for their second birthday.

This year we won't be able to make it to their birthday party. With Carlisle on the board of the hospital this year, I decided to get more involved in the _Déployer Vos Ailes_ Gala organization. It has been very rewarding so far and truly heartbreaking to hear the stories of some of the women involved with the _Prends Ma Main _centers.

I often find myself crying on Carlisle's shoulder late at night, not only recounting what I heard during the day, but also comparing it to what Rose went through. That makes me cry even more.

I've always wanted Rose to get involved with the centers, but I know she's not ready yet. A lot of the profits from her books go to charities that deal with that subject, but she never gets involved personally. It's still too much for her.

I hope she can truly move on from this some day.

I finish with the pink and brown packages and place them on top of the table near the door. I'll take them to the post office on my way out.

My phone rings and I see that is Rose.

"Hello, dear."

"Hi, Mom. Hey, did you wrap the things for Sarah and Claire yet? I found these cute shoes that could go with the dresses you wanted to send them."

"Oh Rose, I just closed the packages." I look back at the boxes, maybe I could open them up again, but I don't think shoes would fit now.

"Oh, that's okay. I can send them on my own then. Maybe Edward will want to send something too. Don't worry."

"That's a good idea, I'm sure they'll love getting more presents." From Rose, I know that Edward sends them gifts on their birthdays, even though he only knows them through photographs. How could he have such a bad image of himself when he can be this sweet?

"By the way, Edward's favorite sorbet was blackberry, right?" Rose asks suddenly.

"Yes, that boy went crazy for it. Too crazy for his own good." I shake my head; he was crazy for sweet things. "That's why I had to limit buying it to every once in a while and when he was sick. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, yes, I knew it, my memory is not that bad yet." She chuckles. "Well, it seems he's sick today. A cold or something like that."

"What? He's sick? Did he go to the doctor? Should I call your Dad?" I immediately start to figure out what he might have. I remember when he used to get sick as a child. He was used to that, since it happened often, and he barely complained. However, for some reason, when he got older, he got more whiny about it.

This boy does everything backwards.

"I don't know if he went to the doctor, Mom. I don't think so, though. But don't call Dad, I'm sure it's not that bad."

"How do you know he's sick? Did he call you?" I feel a little hurt at that. He used to call me for things like this often, before –

"Well, I called his office and they said he didn't show up, and then Bella called me. She asked about his favorite things for when he's sick."

"Bella is there with him?" I'm surprised, they just met and there she is, taking care of him. I have to smile at the image though, my son has so much love surrounding him, and he stubbornly refuses to see it or accept it.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Will she stay there with him? Maybe I should stop by and take a look, surely she can't stay there all day." But if I know my son, he'll probably convince her to stay longer.

"I have no idea, Mom. That's all she asked and I can't visit him, I don't want to get sick too and then have Marie sick as well. He's a grown man, for crying out loud." She sounds irritated.

"Rose," I sigh. "I understand, but he's my son. I worry. You'd do the same with Marie."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Sorry."

"Okay, I'll stop by and check on him. A quick visit." And if Bella is there, well, it would be rude not to introduce myself.

"Mom." Rose's tone sounds like a warning. "Just a _quick visit_? Are you hoping to meet a certain someone there?"

"Oh, Rose. I don't know if he's alone there or not. I have to go see or else I'll worry even more. If there is company, well, then I'll leave."

"Sure you will." Clearly she doesn't believe me. "Just be careful, Mom, okay? I know he's much more open now, but there are still things that make him close off. Don't be disappointed if he freaks out or something. Please."

That's something I fear as well. A reason why I don't push him too much and let _him_set the pace.

I know going there could blow up in my face. Not having control over me meeting Bella could really set him off, but he needs to see that he can have both his lives together: the comfort of his old one where his family was the center; and his new hopeful one, where Bella is– where _love_is everything.

From my talks with Rose, if what she says is correct, he is already in love with her. Of course, he doesn't know it yet.

"I know. I just want to be there for him. I won't do anything that would make him uncomfortable."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Mom. I'm sorry, I just don't want either of you to get upset if this doesn't turn out like you think it should."

"I know, honey, I know." I sigh.

"Good luck then. Call me afterwards, okay? If Bella so happens to be there, tell her I said hi and… well, call me back."

"Sure thing. We'll see if what you say is correct."

"You'll see, Mom, you'll see." She chuckles and leaves it at that.

When I make my way to the post office and then get some things to take to Edward's, her words still play in my mind. I can't wait.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

I take a few deep breaths, hold the bags close to me and enter the building. As I enter the lobby, I notice that it looks the same as the last time I was here.

I chuckle at that. Why would it have changed?

Philippe, the concierge, recognizes me immediately.

"_Bonjour_, _Madam _Cullen. What a lovely surprise. It's been a long time since you've come." He's smiling brightly, I haven't seen him in years.

"_Bonjour_, Philippe. Good to see you too." I don't address his last statement, I'm pretty sure he knows there is more to it than me simply not visiting my son.

"Are you here to see _Monsieur _Cullen? He hasn't left his apartment all day." He frowns at that.

"Yes, I heard he was sick today, so I came here to see what I could do."

"Well, you can go up. I'll let him know that you're here."

"_Merci_, Philippe."

When the elevator doors open, I look to the left side of the hall. There are only two apartments on each floor. I take a few steps and find the door to Edward's apartment open, a young woman standing by it.

"Bella?" I ask. I want to roll my eyes as soon as I do, of course it's Bella. Who else would be at my son's apartment?

"Mrs. Cullen?" She looks so nervous. I am too, but I'm more excited than anything. I finally get to see the girl my son is so entranced with.

"Yes dear, that's me, but call me Esme. May I come in?" I motion to the bags in my arms.

"Oh, of course." She just realizes that she's blocking my path and reaches her arms to help me with the two bags.

"Let me take those." She takes them and carries them to the kitchen. It's obvious they contain food, since there is a baguette coming out of one of them.

I look around and sigh deeply. It's been a long time since I've been here. If just entering the building made me a little sad, then looking at his home is very overwhelming.

I notice that he took all the pictures down from the walls and shelves, nothing to remind him of his old life. The walls are either bare or adorned with cold paintings. This doesn't suit him; this is not the home of my son. But what do I know anyway? He's changed so much in these past two years. I'm betting _he_doesn't even recognize himself anymore.

"Mrs. Cullen? Would you like something to drink?" I'm surprised that Bella's is right next to me; I've been so focused on studying my son's apartment.

"Some water would be perfect. And it's Esme, dear." I smile and follow her to the kitchen and refrain from doing things myself. I was very comfortable here a long time ago, now I feel like a stranger.

"Here you go... Esme." She holds another glass for herself, and we sit across from each other at the kitchen table. Neither knows what to say, where to start.

I don't like this.

"Where is Edward? Is he sleeping?" I ask. This is why I'm here after all.

"Yes, he ate a while ago, and after taking some pills, he kind of passed out."

I'm a little disappointed that I might not get to see him after all, but at least he's resting and I can see he's been taken care of, so there is not much for me to worry about anymore.

"I'm sorry for coming here like this. Rosalie called me earlier and said that Edward was sick, so I thought I'd come by and make sure he was okay."

"Don't worry; he's your son. Of course you had to come." She smiles as if to assure me that she doesn't really mind that I'm here. However, it falters a little and I can tell she's still feeling a little nervous of my presence. She's meeting the mother of her boyfriend for the first time and said boyfriend is passed out, sleeping in the next room.

I'd be nervous too.

"Don't be nervous, dear." I place one of my hands on top of hers. "I came to drop some things for him: food and medicine. That's all."

She relaxes and smiles again, more natural now. She's pretty when she smiles. I can see what Edward sees in her.

"Would you like to help me put these things away?" I ask her. When she nods, we start to work. We take our time doing this; at least it takes _me_some time to get things ready. He rearranged the kitchen since I had been here. It's nice though, working side by side, she has this calming air about her, and little by little I can see that she relaxes around me.

"You made soup?" I see the pot on the stove. Chicken and vegetables.

"Yes, something for his stomach, he wasn't eating anything before I came here."

"It smells great, thank you for making it. I brought some things he might like as well, at least that's what he liked years ago. Vegetables, some cheese and bread, for when he gets stronger, then he'll be famished. Believe me." Men.

"Also, some Pécou almond _dragées_, he used to love them as a child. Only the blue ones, he was very picky about that. Although, I'd hide them for a while, he has quite the sweet tooth."

"Oh, I know that." She giggles and shakes her head.

"Oh, so you've seen that side. Yes, it was hard to control as a child." Maybe some things don't change.

After we finish in the kitchen, we prepare some of the apple tea I brought with me and we head for the living room.

"So, Rose says hi by the way. She said you met her and Marie at her house. Marie was very jumpy last time I visited them; she couldn't stop talking about you." Auntie Bella. I almost choked at that.

"Oh, yes. We spent an afternoon with them. Marie was very happy running around and playing with Edward."

I smile, Edward adores Marie. When he didn't push her and Rose away, I knew there was some hope for him after all.

"She loves him very much, and he spoils her rotten. I hope it wasn't too much though, she can be a handful."

"No problem, I babysit for a friend sometimes, so I know how little girls act."

We sip our tea and I just watch her. She's really beautiful and now that she's not nervous about me being here, I notice that she's almost… glowing. I'm not sure what it is, but it's not from the sun coming in the windows.

"This tea is delicious, Esme."

"It's a favorite of mine; Edward used to like the smell of it. He's more of a coffee man, but every time he smelled the tea he'd tell me to prepare him a cup."

"This would be great with some fruit _tarte_."

"Right? There is this little bakery near here, _Mon Petite Paradis_, have you heard of it? It has these great strawberry _tartes _that I just adore."

"Yeah, I've heard of the place." She can't control her smile when she says that or the little chuckle that follows. What's so funny?

"I'm sorry to be rude, Esme. I'm not laughing at you, it's just that my friend, the one I babysit for, owns that bakery and I also happen to live right above it."

"Really?" Now _I'm_laughing.

"Well, then you must know what I'm talking about better than me."

"Absolutely, Alice, my friend, taught me how to make them years ago. Let's say it ended in tears... on her part. I completely ruined the first tray."

We laugh as she tells me stories of her time baking, or trying to bake when she first got here to Paris. I tell her stories from when I taught Rose do the same. I get the feeling that I'd get along with Alice.

The more we talk, the more she relaxes, all awkward moments completely gone now. She truly is charming, which is how Edward often describes her. I thought he was just saying it because he liked the girl, but after Rose said the same and now I see for myself, I can tell it's true.

There is something soft about her: the way she speaks, how she moves her hands when she tells me something funny, how she _truly _listens when you talk. Oh, dear son, you've found the one.

"I'm sorry Esme, but I don't think Alice will share her recipe for _macarons_. It's supposed to be a family secret or something. For years, I've tried to get it out of her. I even bribed her with new dresses, but she never wavers."

"I bet. They are delicious, but I never get them the same way." I will get the perfect recipe someday.

"And that's right, you design. Edward mentioned something." More like he talked for an hour about her drawings.

"Yeah, I work as a seamstress at the moment, but I want to go back to designing again. Edward's been really supportive of that." She blushes a little.

"That's great, I'm really glad you want to go back to designing. Anything I'll see soon maybe?"

"Well, I did a dress for Alice for the _Déployer Vos Ailes _Gala and I'm making myself one as well." She whispers that last part.

"You're going as well? With Edward?" She nods and I smile. For the last two years, Carlisle and I have been there but have never seen Edward. He always leaves before we get there or is surrounded by people and keeps avoiding us.

"I can't wait to see both your dresses then. Is Edward helping you with them?"

"He helped with Alice's dress, but he doesn't know I'm making myself one."

"That will drive him crazy then, not knowing what you'll wear."

We laugh, because, well, we know it's true. I love my son, but letting things go is not something he does, willingly at least.

"I know, right? Even when he's sick, he didn't call anyone for help. Did he think the cold would just go away?"

I shake my head.

"He's always so tough, except when it comes to being sick."

"He's been good so far, but then again, he's been out most of the time." Bella jokes. Of course she's right, had he been awake, we'd be having a different afternoon at the moment.

"Hey! I'm not that bad." A raspy voice interrupts our moment. We both turn to look at the entrance to the hall and there he is, standing with a comforter around his shoulders. He almost looks like a little child like that.

"Edward, you're up. You should be in bed." I can't help myself; I have to make sure he's ok, so I go to him.

"I'm tired of being in bed, besides you too are kinda loud." I worry for a second, maybe we'd been too loud.

"I'm sorry dear, we were having a nice conversation." I cup his cheek and kiss both of them. He feels a little warm.

"I hope this is okay. I didn't mean to intrude, but Rose called me earlier and said you were sick. I wanted to come and make sure you were ok. I should've known you were not alone." I knew I had been hoping to meet Bella here, but still doesn't mean I don't worry about how he'll react or how he feels about it.

I see him taking a big breath and think about his answer. It's clear he really doesn't know what to think or feel. As it is, I have no idea what he'll say or do and for the first time in the afternoon, I regret not calling first.

After a few moments, I can see him relaxing. His shoulders sag and that small crease in his forehead is gone. When he opens his eyes, I know his answer.

"It's fine, Mom. Actually, it's perfect." It's almost too low to hear, but it's there in the tone of his voice and in the hug he gives me. He's all right, he's getting better.

He hugs me tightly to him; we're both enveloped by the comforter. I remember doing this when he was a child. He said he loved the scent of my perfume when we were like this. He used to fall asleep soon after.

"Okay, enough of this," I say after a few moments. I move us to sit on the couch. He still looks tired even with all that he slept.

"How are you feeling? I know you hate not being in control, so this situation is not the best for you." We hear Bella laugh in the kitchen.

"Mom." Of course he whines.

"But it's true, sweetheart. You always hated it when you were a child. I can imagine how you are now. Poor Bella."

"Poor Bella? What about me? I'm the one in pain here." Good Lord, this boy.

"Thank God women are the ones giving birth or else we'd be extinct as a civilization." I'm not kidding, Carlisle can be even worse when he's sick, and he's a _doctor_.

"Amen to that, but like I said, Esme, he wasn't so bad. Actually, he's the perfect patient." Bella joins us on the couch.

Then she surprises us both by kissing him on the cheek. I can see Edward starting to blush, which almost brings tears to my eyes. When I first saw him weeks ago at Rose's, I knew there was something different in his eyes. It was just starting then, a faint glint in them. Now though, they're full on shining.

I'm not seeing the man who shut us out of his life; I'm not seeing the boy I raised who was a little shy when he was around girls. No, I'm seeing a new man.

I'm seeing a man in love.

"Thank you, Bella," he says, but he's looking at me, all smug that Bella defended him. I just roll my eyes; the men in my family are babies when they get sick.

For some reason though, he starts laughing, really laughing. Maybe he's sicker than we thought.

"Edward?"

"Oh dear, his fever is back."

"No it's not, Mom. I think, I'm sorry, I think I'm hungry." We can't have that.

"I'll get you your dinner, stay here with Bella." I don't let them answer before I head for the kitchen.

Before entering, I look back at them just in time to see Edward resting his head close to her neck. I can't hear what they're talking about, but he they both look so content in that simple position. I almost feel like I'm intruding, so after a second, I turn and start re-heating his soup.

It doesn't take long for it to be ready, and soon enough, I'm interrupting their quiet conversation.

"Here you go, dear. Some chicken soup."

We watch him eat, and we make it clear that he has to eat the entire bowl of it. He agrees when we both tell him so.

We chat while he eats, and I'm sure he's not following the conversation very much, his eyes a little glassy and far away at times. He'll be asleep soon enough.

However, even like that, I can't miss the way they are with each other.

He eats his soup while the bowl rests on a tray on his lap, but his other hand is holding Bella's. I'm not sure either of them realizes how their hands naturally found each other's. She draws little patterns with her thumb on the back of his hand and every once in a while I see him smile a little before taking a sip of his soup. The action is so simple, but it makes him relax and look so happy. I'm really not sure if he's humming from the soup or her touch.

Much like their hands find each other, the rest of them follows: their bodies inch closer, their legs tangle, her head rests on his shoulder. With her other hand, Bella sometimes moves the bowl closer to him, or passes the napkin before he even asks for it. It's like they're in sync with each other, knowing what the other needs before they get the chance to voice it.

She takes care of him without noticing it. It's fascinating to watch them.

"Tell me, Bella. Are you sure the dresses will be ready on time for the party at the end of the month?" I ask her, as much as I like to see my son this happy, I don't want to be creepy watching them.

"I'm pretty sure about it, Alice's is almost ready. I just need to make a few adjustments. As for the other one, well, it's one that I've been working on for a while, just for fun I guess. So now I only need to finish a few details and the dress should be ready right on time."

"Oh, I can't wait to see it at the party."

"Are you talking about Alice's dress? You will love it, Mom. It's gonna turn some heads that night." Finally he says something. Between the food, the medication and Bella's touch, I was sure he'd be passed out by now.

"Actually, we were talking about Bella's dress." Oh, his face when he hears this.

"Bella's dress? You're making your own dress too?"

"Yeah, what did you think? That I'd buy one? I don't have the money for that."

"I dunno." He shrugs. Of course, he never thought about it.

I stay silent while I watch them talk; it's rather funny to see them interact, always facing each other, never missing the other's movements. He often watches her mouth while she speaks, and her eyes are always on his.

What gets me the most though, it's the way they look at each other. It's plainly obvious they love each other. It's in the way her eyes shine when he talks, how she is simply all he sees, like Bella is the most fascinating thing in the world. They adore each other and for some reason they don't see it yet, they truly don't see they are already in love.

Silly kids.

He then leans in and kisses her, completely forgetting that I'm here. I look away and try to hold back my tears. God, he's forgetting the world around him when he's with her and I couldn't be happier about it. He needs to see that not everything hurts, that not everyone will hurt him.

I shake my head and realize that he is being taken care of, and I don't mean just his cold. She loves him, and just as much as she takes care of him, he does the same for her with every little touch.

It's time for me to go and let them be.

"And on that note, I'm leaving. I can see that you're in very capable hands, dear. I'll call you this weekend. Let Bella answer the phone, okay?" God knows what he'll say if he's still on medications.

We stand up and I hug Bella. She looks a little surprised, but we're a family of huggers; she better get used to it.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Thank you."

I turn and hug him as well.

"You've done well, Edward. I love her and I'm can't tell you how happy I am to see you like this. Not sick of course, but happy. Truly happy."

"I know, Mom. I really am." He looks so at peace. Finally.

"I'll be expecting you for dinner really soon then. You and Bella," I order. Carlisle needs to see this as well.

"Of course."

I leave and as soon as I turn the corner, I call Rose.

"What did I tell you?" That's the first thing she asks.

"You were right. He's in love and she is as well. They're either too blind to see it or in denial."

"If he doesn't tell her something soon, I'll smack him. Hard." I smile. She would.

I get home later in the afternoon, and as soon as Carlisle enters the house, I move to him and kiss him. He's taken by surprise but of course doesn't stop me.

"What was that about, dear?" He asks, amused.

"I'm just happy. Just happy." For Edward, for Bella, for us.

More than ever, I _know _there is hope for all of us after all.

* * *

><p><strong>And there ya go, it was obvious that they loved each other to everyone but them, lol. *Face Palm* But we know they got there in time, so it's all good.<strong>

**Like I've said before, these outtakes don't have a schedule planned, so they'll be little surprises from time to time. Except that I'll send a Pictease for you to check out, so not much of a surprise maybe, lol.**

**And that's it. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see ya around.**


	4. Opportunities

**Hi there, pretty ladies.**

**And here's a little something for ya. This outtake is one of those things that I blocked you with, because it was best in a different POV. This takes place alongside Chapter 16: 'Introductions', with the meeting of a certain big ol' someone, well not ol' but big. ;)**

**Thanks to my beta Songster for her help and everything she does for these things.**

**I don't own Twilight, never have and never will… unless it forms a company and goes public, then it's oooon.**

'**Kay, let's stop the babbling…**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

'**Opportunities'**

"The end," I whisper softly and close the book.

Marie sleeps silently next to me on the couch at my parents' house. After all that sugar from the cupcakes and the sneaking of food she did with Edward in the kitchen earlier in the afternoon, I'm surprised that she didn't fall asleep before now.

I gently lay her so that she sleeps more comfortably. Usually I'd take her upstairs, but I'm heading to the solarium and I'll be able to check on her from there.

I move one of her soft blond curls from her forehead. She looks so peaceful there, nothing like the rambunctious little girl I see every day. Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to have her in my life, and whatever failure I might think from time to time my life has been, it's all meaningless when I compare it to how happy this sweet baby is. My baby, my beautiful baby. I'd give my life for her, I almost did one time and I'd do it again.

I kiss her on the nose and rise from the couch.

I walk toward the solarium and see Mom and Edward sitting quietly. The look on their faces is one that I haven't seen on either one of them in a long time. Peace. They are completely at peace with each other. I don't know what they were talking about, but from Mom's glassy eyes, I can imagine they discussed Edward's history with them.

My dear brother, such a different man from a few weeks ago. I thought I had seen a change in him when he visited me with Bella. I _know_I saw a change in him, but now that the weeks have passed, I notice that the change is even deeper.

His eyes are clearer and the green in them is intensified, much like when he was a little boy. He smiles often, not only when he talks about Bella, but even when he looks at simple things like _macarons_. I've even heard him humming a tune while he's playing in the yard with Marie.

I knew he was in love with Bella when they visited, but now I think _he's_starting to notice it as well.

I'm thrilled if that's the case, but also concerned. Will that scare him enough to run? Or will he full-on embrace it instead? It doesn't look like he'll run, but you never know with him.

I settle by them, sitting near Mom. I smile thinking of all the times we spent here playing and joking around. It's been two years since we've been here together. Moments later, when Dad comes in here as well, I feel nothing but bliss at seeing our family together again, like this.

We talk for a while, the room full of laughter and memories. Dad regales us with stories from the hospital and Mom with stories about her friends. They always try to get info from her about my next books, something to look cool before their own grandchildren. I laugh picturing their faces.

Nobody knows anything about my stories before they are finished… well, maybe Edward a little, but nothing specific. He only knows what inspires them.

Right in the middle of one of Dad's stories, a particular gruesome one, Edward's phone rings. He doesn't have to say anything, we all know who it is that's calling– Bella. The guy can't keep a poker face if his life depended on it.

He moves to the corner to take the call.

"Jesus, he's too cute." Mom gushes and takes Dad's hand in hers.

"I know, it's kind of disgusting. Nobody can be _that_sweet. But then again, Bella does bring that out in people." That's true, even Marie is enamored with her.

"I know. Oh Carlisle, we must have her over, soon," Mom says but never takes her eyes off Edward, his back to us. Actually, we're all staring at this stranger in front of us.

It's pretty obvious we've been watching him when he turns and catches us all staring.

"What?" he asks, as if he doesn't know.

"Nothing," we all say at the same time. We're not a very subtle family it seems.

"I assume that was Bella?" Mom asks him.

"Yeah, she invited me to some club with her and her friends. You too Rose, if you want to go."

A night out? Being surrounded by strangers? Dancing and drinking?

Little by little I've been able to work with my fear of large crowds. I can work with the groups of people from my book tours, but I still don't feel comfortable around men. Usually during my book signings, there are parents and kids and no gawking men to make a move. But a club is a different matter.

However, seeing how happy Edward and Bella are, how good it can be when you simply open up yourself to new opportunities, I wish that for myself as well. I absolutely adore my brother, but since seeing him with Bella, sometimes I can't help but feel a little jealous of him.

I get so mad at myself for that.

And because my brother is trying to move on and Bella is a big part of his life now, I resolve to go, to try as well. I just hope my body agrees this time and doesn't close off.

So, with this invitation, I decide to try. Just like everyone around me is, I'll try as well.

"Mom, could Marie spend the night here? I don't know when we'll be back and I don't want to wake her up."

"Of course, honey. Don't worry about Marie; she can stay. You know she has clothes here," Mom offers and I'm glad she makes things easy for me.

I nod and turn to Edward.

"All right. Tell Bella I'll be there as well." I take a breath and decide.

After settling Marie in her room upstairs and saying good night to Mom and Dad, we leave for downtown.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

As usual, the second we get to the club, _La Lune_, Edward and Bella are all over each other. I always tease them, especially Edward, but I love seeing them like that. Yes, _them_. Bella is now a big part of our family, so I consider her happiness as well and when she's with Edward, she's happy.

"Geez, would you stop that, it's embarrassing." I roll my eyes, but I can't keep my smile to myself.

They look so adorable when they blush after getting caught up in each other.

"Let's get inside. Alice is dying to meet you, Rose. And beware, she might ask you about your books. Ok, she will." Well, this is not new, people always ask. From what Bella has told me, her friend is Alice Whitlock, the owner of _Mon Petit Paradis_, so maybe _I_can get some info from her instead.

"Good luck with that. Rose doesn't share information about them. Not even to me, her brother," Edward interjects.

"Shut up, why you would want to know about a children's book is beyond me." He knows more than most anyway.

We enter and I immediately start feeling like I want to turn around and go back home. So many people, all so close to each other, yet it's not so hard to walk between the tables. Most of them are couples and I thank God that no one takes notice of us.

We reach the table and Bella introduces us to Alice and Jasper.

She's nothing like I expected.

"So Bella tells me you have a daughter. Marie, is it?" She asks while taking her husband's hand after sitting down.

"Yes, she's four. Only child, but it seems like I have a dozen kids with all the trouble she gets herself into."

"I know, right? I have a four year old too, Aimée. My God, she really makes me consider whether I should have more children." She stops and taps her chin, in mock thinking. "No, maybe just this one." She giggles. I know what she means.

"She says that now, but every time she sees a baby, she wants me ready to make more of them," Jasper interrupts.

"But they're so cute!"

"Yes, but midnight feedings are not. As you often reminded me back then." They kiss sweetly, and I can't help but smile. They look like they love each other very much.

After a few pecks to Jasper's lips, she leans back and smiles in the direction of Edward and Bella, next to me.

"Couldn't keep it to yourselves for one second, guys?" She teases.

Both Jasper and I turn to look and we see Edward and Bella blushing with their hair all messy. They were clearly making out heavily.

"Sorry," they both say at the same time. Sorry, my ass.

After ordering some margaritas for us girls, we continue talking. I like Jasper, he loves kids, not only his daughter, but all kids. I don't know how he does it, seeing all those sick children. I know he's trained to do this, but simply seeing Marie sick breaks my heart, I just know I couldn't take being with kids in worse shape.

I still visit the occasional children's hospital and read to them when a new book comes out to hear what they think. I'm a crying mess by the time I get home.

Alice turns out to be a hard nut to crack. Like me, she doesn't give away her secrets just like that. I've been trying to her _mille-feuille_recipe for the last hour and all she says is that 'it's a family secret' or that she might reconsider if she knows what will happen to Peter's Mom in the next book.

Not falling for that one.

Our conversation turns out to be the weirdest I've had in a long time, filled with half sentences, just trying to goad the other to spill.

I like her.

"I just want to be prepared when I read it to Aimée after it comes out. If there is death in it, I want to know if I need to make a batch of cinnamon cookies or not beforehand." She whines while taking a sip of her Margarita, her third I think.

"Cinnamon cookies?"

"Yes, it's Aimée's comfort food. It's for when she's sad." Wow, now she pouts and mentions her daughter. I invented that pout, woman.

"Those are delicious." And I say nothing else. Jasper just snickers.

"Ok, ok. We're clearly getting nowhere tonight. But be sure Rosalie Cullen, I will crack you someday." She points a finger at me.

"The same goes to you, Mrs. Whitlock." I nod.

"Ok, no more margaritas for you, Alice." Jasper tells her and tries to take the glass in front of her. _Tries_being the key word here.

"So, Rose, are you going to the Gala next month? Bella is going this year as well." For a second I freeze. I haven't been asked that in years, so it takes me by surprise. A night being surrounded by people isn't usually something I want to do.

Then again, here I am.

"Um, no. I don't attend the Gala. But I send my writing to be auctioned." Knowing that they will all be going to the Gala makes a little sad. If the night is anything like this one, it might be fun.

"Then I guess we'll be bidding on those, right Jasper? Tell me what they're about." Bless Alice for picking up on my moods; I silently thank her for changing the subject.

We engage in talk about my books and our favorite authors, what we read to our girls and how we pass the time. Somehow the idea of getting them together forms, and we are already setting a play-date for them in the near future.

I often look over at Bella and Edward, and as usual they look so happy. I'm pretty sure they are holding hands under the table. That's as far as I'll let my imagination go. He is my brother after all.

Right in the middle of a conversation, Bella spots someone she knows.

"Oh, there he is. Glad he could make it. Emmett!"

Seconds later, a man approaches our table.

I stiffen and this time, the urge to run like hell out of here is almost unbearable. So far, I've been sitting here at this table, surrounded by family and new friends, in a protective bubble of sorts. But now with this guy, I feel like the bubble might burst.

I'm the only one without a date at the table; will he expect us to interact more? Will he make a move? How do I tell him no without looking like a lunatic? I look at Edward and notice that he's worried about me. He always is and that pisses me off, more for myself than him.

"Hey, hey, hey, my lovely ladies. Sorry to be late, I almost didn't get out of the hospital." He hugs Bella and Alice.

He turns to both Edward and myself.

Bella introduces us and I see him greeting Edward. I smile a little when I see how protective of Bella this guy is. Fortunately, Edward doesn't back down and stands firmly in place. Now that he found Bella, he's willing to fight for her. I'm so proud of him at this moment.

Emmett seems to think the same, because a moment later, it appears that he's approving of Edward.

What we witness later is something that I'd never imagine just by looking at Emmett: the brotherly love and banter he and Bella engage in. It's teasing and so full of love, my eyes get glassy just remembering how Edward and I used to be. It's not that it changed so much in these past two years, but there was something missing in our moments, a spark that just wasn't there anymore.

Until Bella.

Now more and more, Edward acts like the brother I've been missing so much.

I look at Edward and we both smile just seeing Bella and Emmett interact. It's like a mirror to our own situation.

"And Rose, very nice to meet you," Emmett says and holds his hand for me to take. I look at it and the pull to just grab it, even for a single second is so great, like nothing I've ever felt before. Safety, it rolls off in waves from this guy and the second I take his hand, I feel it blanketing me, protecting me.

I can barely manage to utter words now.

"Nice to meet you too, Emmett is it?" I watch his eyes, beautiful turquoise pools that stare at me with curiosity and wonder. It's hard to pull away from them.

His hand is warm and firm, yet his hold on mine is soft and almost caring, like he's treating me delicately. Any other time, this would've bothered me a little, the way people seem to walk on eggshells around me. This time though, I embrace the action. For the first time in my life, I want to be taken care of.

Next thing I know, he's taking the seat right next to mine.

I feel so nervous with him right next to me, not bad nervous, but more expectant of what comes now. What do we talk about now? If I touch him again, will it feel the same as before?

Ugh, I'm a teenager.

We order more drinks– boy am I gonna be paying for those in the morning, and continue to talk. We all talk amongst each other, but I'm often more interested in what Emmett has to say. I mean, he was the last one to join in; it's only polite to get to know him.

So that's what I do, get to know him. I talk with everyone at the table, but more often than not, my eyes wander to him. Every single time they do, his eyes are on mine as well.

I can feel him close to me, not in a creepy kind of way, but more like I'm very aware of his movements. I feel his arm at the back of my chair and from the corner of my eyes, notice how his bare forearms flex when he lifts his beer. I think I might've blushed after that.

The denim of his jeans brushes often against my bare legs and every time, I feel a small shiver running up from that spot to the rest of my body. I find it a little addicting, so perhaps I lean from time to time to feel it again.

Perhaps.

Soon after, Edward and Bella move to the dance-floor, I see Edward hesitate for a moment. I'm grateful for his protective side, but it's time for me to take my own steps. A little later, Alice and Jasper leave as well. Alice gives my hand a small squeeze, and at that moment I realize that perhaps my nervousness has not been so subtle.

"Would you like to dance as well, Rose?" That voice has been taunting me for the last hour.

"Not really. I don't feel like dancing."

"Ok, then. So tell me Rosalie Cullen, what's it like to be a famous author? I feel like I should ask you for an autograph or something." He laughs.

I know he's teasing, but I like it when he calls me Rose much better.

"Not unless you read kids' stories."

"Well, I actually do. I work with kids all the time. So whenever I get free time at the hospital, I love to go and read to them. I rock at making character voices. Just sayin'."

"Really?" I smile inwardly at that fact. "I'll keep that in mind for my next book tour then." I take a sip of my margarita.

"And to answer your question, it's nice to be recognized by your work. I particularly love to hear what the kids think of my stories. Other than that, it's more of a hassle than anything. I find what you do more important,"

"Well thanks. I love what I do, taking care of kids, healing them when they're sick. It sucks when there is nothing you can do for them. I feel so helpless sometimes, but we do what we can, even when it's not enough sometimes." He sighs and his eyes look into the distance. He's probably remembering the little faces of those kids he's lost.

"But what you do it's equally important. You give the kids an escape, Rose. Whenever they are in pain or feel too weak to do anything, your books take that away. You have no idea how uplifting it is for them to close their eyes and leave that bed full of tubes and bags and just fly away into a world where they are strong and healthy." He turns his eyes to me now. God, he's beautiful.

"It's magical, Rose. You give them magic with your words. To me, that is equally as important as what I do."

"Emmett, " I whisper and choke a little. What do I say to that?

Through the years, I've had women come up to me to talk about their lives and how they relate to mine. I've had kids that tell me how they like my stories and how it inspired them to write their own. But this level of recognition? To have someone telling me that my words take away the pain from these little kids, even for a few moments? I shake my head.

"Hey, sorry if it was too much." I feel his arm around me. It's a half hug, but it still feels so warm and safe, I can't help but to lean in a little.

He smells of smoke and beer. I think we all do at this point in the night, but there are also the remnants of soap and cologne. He must've showered just before coming here.

"No, it's not that. It's just a little overwhelming thinking about sick kids, especially when I have a child of my own. But thank you for telling me this." I look up into his eyes and he's smiling down at me.

He looks so young like that; his eyes shine more brightly, even with the faint light of the club. His curly hair looks so cute on him, a little curl falling right above his left eyebrow. And up-close, I see a path of small freckles in his nose.

Adorable.

Of course, I don't say this out loud.

"Marie, is it? You've mentioned her a few times."

"Yes, she's four. She can be a lot to take in, but I love her wild spirit. I can't wait to see what she'll end up doing in the future. She sings and plays the piano and _tries_to bake." I chuckle just remembering Edward's face when he tried one of her cupcakes.

"She sounds pretty awesome." He laughs. "And I bet it is all because she has an awesome mother." I think I blush. I just hope he doesn't notice.

"Thank you." An image of Marie and Emmett playing flashes before my eyes for a second. Would they get along?

I shake my head slightly. It's too early to think about that.

I move forward to take my drink and clear my head of that brief image, and even though I'm no longer close to him, I can still feel his heat on my back. It's not unpleasant at all.

We continue to talk, and he tells me about his family and how he got to Paris in the first place. I laugh when he tells me he's part French; he doesn't look anything like a French guy, at least not the ones I've met.

The more he talks, the more I want to know about him. From simple tastes in music, to his plans for the future.

It's with these thoughts that I realize that I haven't flinched once while he's been sitting here. Quite the contrary, I seem to crave to be near him, to hear his voice.

With every accidental brush of our hands, the same comforting feeling washes over me. Every time, I feel more and more safe with him, as if my body knows that nothing bad could happen with him around.

It's the first time that my body is dropping its guard and letting someone in. For the first time, my brain and my body are getting along. It's scary, but very much welcomed.

From Edward and Bella, I know Emmett helped her in her rough moments. So maybe part of the reason I feel like this with him is that: the knowledge that he is a protector by nature. However, I feel there is much more to it than that, there is this electric pull towards him, something that goes beyond just feeling protected.

I think he feels it too, from the way he looks at me or to the spot where our hands brush. Every time, he smiles and looks at me, almost waiting for my reaction. I almost feel giddy with this, and it makes me want to go for it, with him, even if it will be little by little. Although if tonight is any indication of it, this might not be little by little.

Just when Emmett is telling me a story about his childhood dog, Edward and the rest come back to the table.

"Hey, what do you think about leaving? I have to go to work tomorrow," Edward asks me. I had almost forgotten that he actually has to get up early.

"Sure." I feel a little disappointed, but I can't keep him here all night.

We go outside, and Emmett and I have to go our separate ways.

"So, I'll give you my number; you can call me whenever you want. We can do something fun." He sounds so nervous when I hand him my phone so he can input his number. I have to smile and so does he when he sees my face.

"I'd like that." I call his number. "There, you have mine as well." I never give my number just like that, but I want to see him again.

From the way he smiles at his phone, I can't say I regret it.

"It was nice meeting you, Rose."

"And you too, Emmett." He leans forward and gives me a hug. I'm a little surprised by this, but I hug him back almost immediately. He's so warm.

"Good night."

"Good night."

From the corner of my eyes, I see Edward and Bella rolling theirs. I scoff, look who's talking, guys.

On our way back home, I get a text from Emmett.

_Beautiful Rose, I hope we meet again very soon. I still want to have some of those amazing cinnamon rolls you bragged about. __Have a good night. ~ E_

Of course that would be what he remembers. I smile thinking about how he and Edward will be the death of my kitchen.

Once again, I think about Marie. How would she react to having someone else in her life? I know I just met the guy, but what if things move forward? I feel so much already. And even if it's not with Emmett, what will happen the day I start dating again? I'd always choose my daughter of course, but I also want her to have someone in her life. Edward and Dad do a wonderful job, but it's not the same as having her own father.

Up until this night, I haven't really noticed how alone we have been. Me, without someone to share my life with, a man that can be a partner and friend and a lover to me. And Marie, without all those father-daughter moments that she never should've missed.

As we pass the different buildings of Paris at night, I realize that moving forward is not only for me, but for my daughter as well. She'll always come first, but putting her first also means having a mother that is happy and not a shell of what she used to be.

Maybe I'm moving too fast, we just met. But the connection was there and it was strong. Maybe is because it's been too long?

I re-read the text and smile again. I'm not imagining things; he feels there's something there too.

Later that night, I lay awake next to Marie at my parents' house. I watch her and think of all the things that I want for her, all the things that I'm willing to do for her happiness. In every one of those images, I'm alone with her.

It feels incomplete.

I look up to the ceiling and suddenly feel so tired, so tired of being alone. I want someone to be there with me, to make me and my daughter happy, to share the burden and also the happy times.

Maybe giving Emmett a chance is the best thing I can do.

The smile I fall asleep with a little later pretty much seals the deal on that idea.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, we know how things turned out for these two. You <strong>_**might **_**hear a little bit from him in the future. ;-) **

**Also, I have two more short outtakes that I sent my beta and I'm guessing there will be about 8 in total, 9 at the most.**

**And that's it, I hope you liked this one. **

**Have a great rest of the week and I'll see ya around.**


	5. Friends

**Hi, pretty people.**

**And here we go again: another week, another little peek.**

**This outtake and the next one will be short little things, just little moments from LB. This particular one is a scene that was mentioned in Chapter 21: 'Colors'. It's like two lines in there though, lol. You'll see.**

**Many thanks to my pretty beta Songster. Dude, for realz.**

**Also, many, many thanks to the always lovely Kroseph. I had a very vague idea for this outtake but after one of her reviews, it was set, lol. She also pre-read this chapter (my first pre-reader, ever :-) ) and gave me some great pointers on some pretty things. She's lovely, I tell ya. So, a big hug to her. :-D **

**Once again, I don't own Twilight.**

**Enough talking…**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

'**Friends'**

Okay, I think I have everything in the bag. I've checked a million times already, but Marie always seems to want to add something else to it. Why does she need to take her small jewelry box is beyond me.

Today is her first ballet lesson and as I hear her around the house, singing and jumping, I know she's more than excited.

She has been great with her piano lessons so far; she really is a natural, and seems to enjoy playing and even making up her own little melodies. I love seeing her like that, so focused and giddy when the melody goes the way she wants it. I don't know how long this will last though; she could become bored with lessons tomorrow and not want to see the piano anymore. I won't force her to play if that's what she chooses. Music should be about passion, not obligations.

However, as much as she likes playing, she has recently developed a new love for dancing. I blame Bella and Edward for that. She saw them dance in the living room one night when they babysat, and ever since she wanted to become a dancer.

When I asked her that night what kind of dancer she wanted to be, her attention turned to her musical box, where a little ballerina was dancing along to the music.

I had my answer right there. Apparently my daughter wanted to be a piano-player-ballerina and nothing could change her mind now.

I have no one else to blame but myself for her stubbornness.

"Are you ready, Marie? We have to go now," I tell her as she twirls around the living room. As soon as she hears that we have to go, she turns in my direction.

"Yes, Mommy." She nods happily and picks _Monsieur_Bouffiup from the couch. She never leaves home without him.

"Okay, let's go then."

We reach the car and just as I buckle her in and put the bag down, I feel a buzzing from my cellphone. When I see that it's from Emmett, I can't help the smile on my face.

_Hi, pretty Rosie. Good luck with the ballet lesson today. See you tonight? ~ E_

_Rosie_. He's the only one who calls me like that and I love it. It's simple and cute and the way he says it makes me smile and shiver at the same time. I've never felt so adored by anyone before him.

I check Marie in the back seat and I see her talking to _Monsieur_Bouffi telling him where we are going and how excited she is. She doesn't even notice we haven't moved yet.

I text Emmett back.

_Thank you, Marie is so excited I don't see her not liking this. And yes, I'll see you tonight. Mom is babysitting Marie. ~ R_

I hate that he can't come to the house yet, but we've talked about him coming to meet Marie and that will happen really soon. I'm a little scared of how Marie will react. I mean, the meeting with Bella wasn't exactly smooth, but then my daughter can really read people and saw how great Bella really was.

I know this will happen with Emmett as well, and that fear of her reaction dies a little every day when I see how he is with me: soft, patient, sweet.

Yes, it's time for Marie to meet the man that makes me happy and that I'm pretty sure I'm falling for.

_I can't wait then. ~ E_

"Mommy, come on, let's go," Marie whines. I put my phone away.

"We're going, we're going."

I drive us to the ballet studio and we listen to soft piano music on our way. Marie loves it and I notice how her little fingers try to follow the melody. After today, maybe her little feet will try to follow ballet steps as well.

When I went to lunch with Alice and Bella, a few weeks back, I mentioned the reason Marie now wanted to dance. They laughed, and Bella realized that she and Edward never even noticed Marie watching them dance.

It wasn't out of character for them. They often forget about everything else when they are together.

Then Alice got really excited about the fact that Aimée had recently started taking ballet lessons as well and said that perhaps this was the time for them to meet.

I completely agreed with her. I like Alice; she's a great listener and has so much energy and passion when she talks about food. No wonder she's a successful baker. She also has a very calm side, giving great advice, and she's very patient when you're trying to sort your thoughts before talking. I experienced that first hand when I told her about my marriage and how it ended.

When she mentioned our daughters meeting, I couldn't smile brighter at the thought.

I turn right and park the car next to the studio: _Montpellier Danse_. I see other girls with their mothers, running or skipping to the entrance. I also see Alice's car at the end of the street.

I turn to check on Marie and see her holding her bear close to her, her eyes fixed on the other girls as they enter the studio.

"Ready for this, sweetie?" She looks a little nervous, but I don't worry too much. Marie is very friendly when it comes to other kids.

"Yes, Mommy." She nods and I smile at her. Even a little nervous she'll jump right in.

Marie can be a lot like me sometimes, thinking hard before making a decision, but other times, she doesn't think about the consequences. Of course, she's really young yet, so this is not an issue, but sometimes I worry for her and what might come in the future. I don't want her to make the same mistakes I made. At the same time, Marie is not me and I can't put that weight on her.

We enter the studio and see girls of different ages talking and laughing around the room. I'm a little confused, I don't think they're all here for a beginners' class.

I feel Marie's hand on mine as I guide her to some chairs at the edge of the room. She's still holding her bear close to her and looking around the room.

"Rose! Over here." I hear Alice and see her waving at us.

"Hi, Alice."

"Hi, you guys. I'm glad you could make it." She leans forward and stretches her hand to Marie. "Hi, you must be Marie. Your Mommy talks about you all the time."

They shake hands and Marie smiles brightly, relaxing instantly.

"Hi." She shakes Alice's hand back.

"You look really pretty today, Marie. I like your hairpins." Marie lets go of my hand and touches her hairpins. They're small butterflies with blue rhinestones. Edward got them for her, since they matched the color of her eyes.

Edward and his fixation on details.

"My uncle got them for me. They match my eyes, see?" Marie turns her head and points to the hairpins and then to her eyes, widening them exaggeratedly.

"Oh, that's pretty. That uncle of yours sounds great." Alice grins and looks at me.

"Yeah, he's the best." Marie nods in agreement.

I've always loved how Marie talks about Edward. They adore each other and have a special connection that she has with no one else. When she first started walking, she'd follow him everywhere around the house, often clinging to his pants to try to steady herself.

She's a big part of the reason that Edward didn't lose himself in guilt completely. Yeah, he was still moody and self-deprecating, but you could see the spark of life in how his eyes lit up whenever she was around. I truly believe that he never really gave up, even if he didn't realize it.

"Momma, Momma. My slipper untied." A little girl comes and tugs at Alice's arm.

This must be Aimée.

"Okay, sweetie, I'll tie it again." Alice crouches and takes her daughter's foot.

While she steadies herself with her hands on Alice's shoulders, her eyes drift to Marie.

"Hi, are you new? I didn't see you before." She cocks her head, as if trying to remember Marie from before.

"Yes, this is my first class. What's your name? I'm Marie."

"I'm Aimée. I like your bear. I have a dog, do you want to see it?"

And just like that, we don't exist for either of them.

Aimée takes Marie's hand and leads her to the other side of the room where other girls are laughing.

"You don't have to tell me, I know." I hear Alice beside me. "My daughter is rather friendly." She chuckles and we watch them laugh with the other girls.

"Marie was a little nervous about today, but she's also very friendly when she's more calm, so don't worry about it."

We watch them talk and laugh. When the lesson starts, they give Alice and me the stuffed bear and dog to take care of; they are all business.

Only the little girls, the beginners' class, stays in the room as the rest of the girls go back to other studios. The teacher, _Madam _Babineauxis firm and gentle at the same time, giving instructions, and correcting them when they have problems. The youngest girls get distracted easily, but with a little help, they get back to dancing once again.

My eyes always go back to Marie and I watch how frustrated she gets sometimes, when her feet just don't seem to cooperate. It's hard to stop the urge to go to her and help her, but I know she has to do this on her own.

I also smile when I see Aimée helping her and showing her the correct steps. Alice told me she started a few weeks ago and seems to be a natural at it.

I'm so proud every time I see Marie beaming whenever she gets something right and her teacher compliments her. Even when she makes mistakes with the positions, she never misses a beat and is in sync with the music. _She_ is the one helping Aimée sometimes.

Apparently piano lessons are more useful than I thought.

They still get distracted from time to time, but get back into dancing right away, all serious and happy. They are the only ones who work together, as a pair. Not only do they check what the teacher says, but also what the other is doing.

It's so cute. I can't help but take a few photos with my phone.

When the lesson is over, they both come to us, holding each other's hands.

"Did you see, Mommy? _Madam _Babineaux said I did a good job with my jumps." She's so proud.

"I did, sweetie. You were great." I kiss her forehead and give her a little hug.

They both look a little tired but happy, and their hair's a little disheveled from all the dancing and playing. Marie asked me to arrange her hair in a pretty chignon with her hairpins and a few ribbons. Why ribbons? Because they matched her blue skirt.

I swear she's spending too much time with Edward and picking up his attention for details.

Aimée and Marie don't stop talking as they recount their lesson. Alice and I just smile. I mean, we were _right there_ watching them, but I love how happy they look. I just know they'll be talking about it until next week's lesson.

_Madam _Babineaux asks to talk the mothers, so we leave the girls running around the room, doing spins and little jumps. They are so eager to dance like the older girls do.

"Thank you for coming today, mommies. I wanted to give you an update of what we'll be working on for the next three months. At the end of January we will be presenting _La Boutique Fantasque. _We have already started working on this with the older girls, and from next week on, we'll ease the little ones into it as well.

"Some of you have already seen this in previous years. For the rest, just know that it's nothing complicated for the little ones, as we make sure they play parts they can actually perform. I can tell you that girls love it. Not only do they learn to dance in the meantime, but they also get to be part of a big production, much like they see the older girls take part in."

Marie will be thrilled by this.

"We'll rehearse once a week and soon we'll start trying out the costumes, which takes the level of excitement through the roof. We'll see what parts work, and won't be too complicated for them."

I'm relieved by that. I don't want Marie getting too frustrated.

"I'll give you more details next week, and you have my contact number in case you have any questions. Your girls did great today; I'm really happy with this group."

We gather our things, and Marie and Aimée come running towards us.

"Momma, can we go eat some _tartes_? I told Marie that you make the best in the whole world." Aimée grins and nods.

"Sure, honey." Alice turns to me. "Do you have time to stop by the bakery or do you have to go somewhere else now?"

"No, I have time. We can go." I look at the two girls jump. "Besides, I don't think Marie will forgive me if I don't take her now."

An hour later, we're sitting just outside the bakery, eating some _tartes_ as we listen to the girls chat excitedly. They'd been together the entire time since we left the studio and earlier when we entered the bakery, Aimée introduced Marie as her best friend to everyone.

I guess that's settled then.

Marie already told Aimée about her cabin and they already made plans for a play-date to get together. Alice and I just rolled our eyes. Good to know they are making plans without even asking us.

"Okay, so let me see." Alice looks really excited about the ballet the girls will be a part of. "The story is set in France in the late 19th century, I think. The opening scene starts with this toy shop with large windows displaying all these pretty toys and little kids staring at them." I nod; I can already imagine this scenario.

"Those first moments are really pretty: full of life and color with people walking around browsing through the carts and street vendors filling the stage. _Madam _Babineaux got the budget a few years ago to get real size flower cart. I've seen this ballet a few times, and I volunteered to provide with the best flowers from my garden. Aimée even helps me pick them up." Alice beams. "I can't believe she'll be dancing there this time.

"Now, the magical part comes at night, when the toys come to life and dance around. The details for the whole thing are exquisite: the costumes bright and gorgeous; the scenario a tiny town you want to live in; and the dancers just fluttering from space to space. Everything fits perfectly." Alice sighs. "_Madam _Babineaux was right, it's perfect for little girls, with parts that are not too complicated for them. Just the visuals will get them really excited. I mean, seriously. Real size toys?" She shakes her head.

This sounds great and I can already picture Marie in a costume and dancing around. _I'm_ getting excited and I've only just heard about it.

"That sounds beautiful. Do they have the costumes ready? Maybe I can ask Edward for some help, he'll go crazy just picturing the background." I laugh a little. I can already tell that the moment I tell him about the ballet, he'll start planning something.

"Yeah, I think they have them already, but they always need help with something. Everybody tries to help with everything they can. I mean, Aimée didn't dance there yet, but I always helped a little. Even Bella does sometimes: with the fitting of the costumes and such. I couldn't sew if my life depended on it, and she loves being around the little girls."

Okay, now Edward will certainly be helping here.

Later, when we get home, Marie is high on sugar and excitement. She dances around the house, showing me her steps and humming the melodies she heard at the studio. At some point, she asks me to play the piano while she dances. She wants to start practicing right away.

Mom gets to our house a little later. While she gives Marie a bath and listens to the same stories I've been hearing all afternoon, I call Emmett.

"Hi," I say a little shy. Why am I suddenly shy, I have a no idea.

"Hi, Rosie. How was Marie's lesson?" I love that the first thing he asks is about Marie.

"It was great, she's actually really excited about her performance in a few months and has been practicing since she left the studio." I chuckle and sit on the couch. "This will be some long three months."

"That's great, I'm sure she'll be great." He's quiet for a few moments. "So, am I going to see you a little later?" Now _he's_ the one who sounds a little shy.

I hold a giggle.

"Yeah, Mom got here a while ago and she's giving Marie her bath. I'll meet you at the _café_ in an hour?"

"Yeah!" He coughs a little and this time I can't hold in the giggle at hearing his enthusiasm. "I mean, yes, sure. I'll meet you there. I can't wait to see you, Rosie."

I smile again at his name for me. Such a little thing and I think I might explode from happiness. I close my eyes and for a second I can see mysoef enjoying all those first moments with Marie: her first recital, first day of school. This is nothing new, I'm always thinking about her future, only this time, I don't see myself alone next to her.

I open my eyes and look up, in the direction of the stairs, when I hear Marie's laughter coming from upstairs. I decide right there that Marie and Emmett have to meet really soon, maybe after the Gala next week. I want these two important people to meet and see how amazing they are.

It's time.

"I can't wait to see you too, Emmett. And there is something I want to talk to you about."

* * *

><p><strong>And there ya go, a little meeting. :-) The next outtake is ready to post, so I'll probably do that next week or so.<strong>

**Thanks again for stopping by and see ya around.**


	6. Vests

**Hello, again.**

**Glad you liked the last outtake, just a little something in a lighter tone.**

**This one is a bit of a continuation to the last one and hope you like it. Steps forward for two special people. ;-) It sort of **goes **along with Chapter 22: 'Preparations', I mean, this scene was mentioned there, but now you get to 'see' it ;-)**

**Many thanks to my beta Songster for her help.  
><strong>

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Now let's see what the hell am I talking about...**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

**'Vests'**

"Okay, so everything is ready for her discharge?" I ask the nurse next to me as I scan the records.

"Yes, Dr. McCarty. She's in her room waiting for you." Even when I'm not seeing her face, I know she's smiling. I am too.

I hand the records to the nurse, and I make my way over to her room.

I walk and check all the drawings and colors on the walls. No kid should ever be sick enough to come here, but since it happens more than we'd like to, the hospital made it a happy and bright wing for the little ones.

I love kids, always have. Even when I was a teenager, I always felt I had a special connection to them. I even babysat for a couple of neighbors back in the day. I didn't care what people thought, I mean, it was fun to play with them and eat all the treats the parents left for us.

So when it came time to decide what to study, I knew it would be kid related, maybe a teacher or a coach. I wasn't sure until I was in my junior year, when one of the kids I took care of got really sick. After weeks of tests and waiting, we found out little John had leukemia.

I had never felt so helpless as I did the day I heard that. I mean, I was the one who made him laugh when he was sad or talked to him when he was upset with his parents, but right then, there was nothing for me to do other than just _be there_.

The more I saw him fight, the more I saw just how strong kids could be. We still played videogames and he still kicked my ass. I still brought him comics and then we'd have long talks about them.

Kid was stubborn as hell when it came to the X-men.

And all of this was done while he was in bed and could barely keep his food down.

After months of this, I was there the day his parents were told that he would recover and live a normal life.

When I went home that night, my mind was made up: I would make sure that parents everywhere would look like the Thompsons did the day doctors told them their kid would live.

Choosing not only pediatrics, but oncology was a no brainer in the end. It's hard as hell seeing these kids lose their hair and physical strength, but seeing them smile anyway? It makes it even more worth it when they finally leave the hospital.

Just like Cécile today. I can't help but to smile when I think about it.

After seeing an endless amount of doctors, they all gave up on her. We were her last chance at recovery and to see the desperation in her parents eyes made me work even harder to help her get better.

We always work hard for all the kids here, but when her big brown eyes looked at me that first day, I was a goner: I _had_ to do something for her. She reminded me a little bit of Bella after what happened with _Jake_: hopeless. If I couldn't stand it in Bella's eyes, there is no way I was standing it from a little girl.

I round the corner, and I hear her giggles as other kids say goodbye to her.

I stop for a moment by the door and watch them laugh and smile, as her parents gather her things, and I don't mean just clothes. The hospital room will never be the same as your own bedroom, but when kids spend as much time here as Cécile, they make it their space. Most of the rooms are filled with painted walls, toys, books, just anything to make them happy.

This one is no different.

"Emmett!" I see her sitting on her bed, waving me in.

"_Bonjour_, little Cécile." I sit next to her as the rest of the kids make space for me.

"I missed you today." She pouts.

"Me too, Cécile, but I had surgery today and I couldn't come here earlier." She nods in understanding. Many of the kids don't like it when we're not around them much, but after explaining to them we work to make other kids feel better as well, they get it.

"So, how are you feeling about going home? Excited?" I nudge her playfully; I know she's not feeling very happy about leaving this place. In many ways it was her home for a long time. Many of the kids feel this way, happy to be going home to see their friends and rest of the family, but at the same time, sad to leave us.

"Yes, I'm just gonna miss you Emmett, and the nurses and my friends here." She whispers. The rest of the kids play around the room or go back to their own, so I'm the only one who listens to her.

"I know, little one, and I'm gonna miss you too, but you're gonna have a lot of fun outside with your friends and new friends once you start school again."

"But I don't want any more friends, I want you guys." I see tears gathering in her eyes. Crap, I hate this.

"And we'll always be here, you can come and visit us any time you want. My birthday is in a couple of months, and I'm gonna have a big party for everyone here. You have to come. Lots of cake, Alice's cake." I nudge her again; Alice's cakes are famous around here.

Cécile smiles.

"Okay, just don't forget me," she whispers again.

"What? Forget you? How could I forget you? You're the one who taught me how to play Uno. I'd never forget that, Cécile."

She giggles and wipes her eyes.

"Then I'll have to come back to teach you more about it, you kinda suck."

"Hey!" It's true though. Surgery on little people I can do. Uno? Not so much.

"So, are you nervous?" She asks. I look at Cécile and see her interested in my answer. That's the thing about her, she never asks things just to be polite. She really cares about others.

"Yeah, really nervous." I sigh.

Today, I'm finally meeting Marie for the first time.

Two weeks ago, after her first ballet lesson, Rose told me that she was ready and that she wanted this to happen. It would've happened last week, but with everyone going to the Gala and Rose facing a public setting like that for the first time in years, we thought it was best to wait a little more. And now here we are, a week after the Gala, and I'm finally meeting the little girl that makes my Rosie smile brighter than the sun.

Rosie.

How I love that woman. Yeah, it's fast but who cares, I love her like no one before, and I'm willing to wait for her to catch up to me. I'll wait forever for her if necessary.

That first night when I met her at the club, holy crap, I knew I was done for. She was gorgeous with her blond hair and pretty eyes, but there was so much more behind her looks. She was broken, something I recognized from seeing Bella years before, but there was something else as well.

Hope.

She wanted to get out of that place. The fact that she was sitting there in a crowded room, meeting new people told me that she was walking forward.

That made me nervous though, could I help her down that road? I wanted that, I wanted to be the one next to her, helping her, but I knew she wouldn't make it easy.

All throughout the night I talked to her and got to know her a little better, drinking in all her words. She was fascinating: her soft voice, the movement of her hands, the glint of her eyes when she talked about something interesting to her.

Again, I knew I was done for.

After that night, things have been slow, but amazing. We talk about our lives; we walk around the city and she shows me what inspired certain things in her stories. I love her brain and how she weaves stories almost out of thin air.

She even agreed to come read to the kids once a week, which quickly became a big hit among them and the staff as well. They all love her, and little by little she's more comfortable in big crowds, although that is hardly an issue when she's surrounded by kids.

This is how Cécile met her, at one of her readings and this is how she knew I had strong feelings towards Rosie. Apparently I 'looked like an idiot' staring at her while she read to the kids.

Awesome.

"Don't worry, Emmett, you'll do fine. Rose really likes you, and I'm sure her daughter will as well."

I shake my head and turn to Cécile again. I always space out when I think of Rosie.

"I hope so, kid." I sigh. I don't want to ruin things, and if Marie doesn't like me, I know it will be hard on Rose. Obviously Marie always comes first and I'd step down if that's what she wants.

"Just remember not to treat her like an idiot. I know she's a little girl, but no kid likes to be treated like a baby, specially from a guy she's just meeting." I nod.

"And take her something nice as a present, we _all_ love gifts, so you won't go wrong with that." I nod again.

"Okay, Cécile, are you ready to go?" We both turn to look at her parents.

This is it, then.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Emmett." She turns and hugs me strongly, something else to smile about. She could barely lift her arms at one point.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Cécile. Just be good and come visit us."

She nods and with tears in her eyes, she walks away with her parents.

This is always a bittersweet moment for everyone here, kids and adults. In the end, she might be walking away from us, but she walks towards much better things.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

"Ugh," I groan and see my bed full of clothes. This is ridiculous, I'm not a girl, dressing should be easy and fast.

So, why have I spent the last thirty minutes trying to find a nice shirt?

I just close my eyes and take the first thing I can grab: black pants, blue shirt and a vest. A vest? That might be trying too much. And where did that come from?

After I dress, I eye the vest again; it might work after all. I end up putting it on.

Again, I feel like a girl.

I hear my phone buzz and see that I got a message from Rosie.

_Are you nervous? Don't be, please, she'll love you. ~ R_

I smile. Rosie.

_I'm wearing a vest. Enough said. ~ E_

_LOL, you're crazy. Now I can't wait to see you in it. Hurry. ~ R_

I take my gift to Marie and Rose. I head to their house, chuckling all the way downstairs.

Thirty minutes later Rose buzzes me into her house and I'm sweating like a pig.

"Hi, you." She smiles and kisses my lips.

"Hi. I'm not late, right?" She smells like cinnamon. She's been baking.

"No, not at all. Come inside."

I've been to her house before, when Marie stayed with her grandparents, but today I see things differently. I'll meet the owner of the toys here and there, the little face that's in all those photo frames.

"Don't be nervous," Rosie whispers and kisses my cheek.

"Marie! Come here, please."

I hear little steps, and then I see this little kid making her way to us. She's more beautiful than her pictures, and I see so much of Rose in her. She's wearing a green dress and carrying a stuffed bear, _Monsieur_ Bouffi, I presume.

When she reaches Rose, she hides behind her and peeks at me from the side.

"Hi, Marie. I'm Emmett, a friend of your Mom." I crouch at eye level with her, trying my best not to be intimidating.

She hides again and hugs her bear tightly against her.

I sigh and stand up again. Rose looks a little sad, but she hides it with a smile. I smile back at her. I leave my gifts on a little table and take off my coat.

We both turn to look down again when we hear a tiny gasp and find Marie clutching Rose's pants' leg, not hiding behind her anymore, her eyes wide open.

"_Monsieur_ Bouffi," she whispers and looks between her bear and me.

I furrow my brow, and when I look at Rose she's trying to hide her smile behind her hand.

"What?" What did I miss here?

She shakes her head and moves her eyes to the stuffed bear and then back to me. I look down and after a few moments, I realize what she finds so funny.

I'm apparently wearing the same outfit that _Monsieur_ Bouffi is.

Great, I dress like toys now.

Marie is still looking at me, a tiny smile now on her face. Slowly, she walks towards me, her hand leaving her Mom's leg, and she stops in front of me. I crouch again.

"_Monsieur_ Bouffi has the same vest. My uncle made it for him. Did my uncle made that vest for you?"

"No, little one, but I've seen what your uncle makes and they're pretty clothes. _Monsieur_ Bouffi is a very lucky bear." I lightly poke at the bear's tummy.

"My uncle is the best! Come." She takes my hand and pulls me in the direction of the hall. "I'll show you what else my uncle made."

I get up and follow her, looking back at Rose who follows us back. He eyes are shiny and I know she'll cry at any moment. I take her hand in mine, giving it a little squeeze. She nods, telling me that she's okay.

I hate seeing her cry, even when it's happy tears.

We spend the next few hours talking and laughing… and eating, there is a lot of eating involved as well.

Much like her mother, by the end of the afternoon, Marie owns my heart. She shares stories with us, one for each of her toys; she plays the piano and sings; and we share pastries and milk in the living room.

We even played that infamous Uno.

She beat me.

They both liked the gifts I brought them: flowers for Rosie and a small music box shaped like a piano for Marie. She kept it close to her the entire time, opening it every two minutes, even trying to play the tune on her real one.

I sigh and rest my head in the back of the couch. Rose is putting Marie to bed since she had been yawning for the better part of the last hour.

I feel the couch dip a little to my left and a hand runs through my hair. I could fall asleep like this.

"She was out before we even made it to her bed. She had a very interesting day." I turn to look at her.

Jesus, she's beautiful. My Rosie.

"Yeah, she has a lot of energy. I don't know how you do it," I tell her. I deal with kids all day, but it's certainly not the same as this.

"It's hard, yes, but it's also great." She shrugs and with my left arm, I hug her to me.

We just stay like that for a few moments. I love feeling her against me like this. This woman in my arms and that little girl upstairs are now everything to me, and I'll do anything to protect them and make them happy.

"Thank you, Emmett," she whispers against my chest.

"No, Rosie. Thank you for letting me into your family." I also feel like thanking Edward. Not only for bringing Bella back, but also he made it possible for me to meet Rosie.

We've spent a lot of time together, me and Rosie, but after tonight, there will be a big change: there'll be three of us now. Rosie won't have to keep those two parts of her life apart anymore and I could already see the changes in her through the night: the way she smiled, the way she'd look at us and how we made plans to spend more time together soon.

I hug her closer to me and kiss the top of her head, closing my eyes.

With that kiss, I am certain of one thing: we will be a family.

Maybe not now and maybe not in the near future, but as I sit here, under the same roof of the Cullen girls, I know my life will forever be tied to one Rosalie Cullen.

Or McCarty, if things go as I plan.

* * *

><p><strong>And there ya go. Seems things did go as planned, lol. <strong>

**Okay, next one is with my beta and it will be a bit... different. I'll explain a little more when I post. No worries, nothing bad, I mean, we all know how this story ended, so no bad surprises.**

**Also, I just heard that 'Little Buttons' was nominated for Fic of the Week over at The Lemonade Stand. It's an honor to be in between all those great stories. Thank you, pretties. If you want to check the stories and vote, you can go here: tehlemonadestand. blogspot. net  
><strong>

**Thanks again for stopping by and see ya around, pretties.**


	7. Ties

**Hello, pretties.**

**Here we go again, just a few more outtakes left for you. As you can see, this is much longer than the previous ones… you'll see why. Also, the mood is a bit different from those.**

**This outtake sort of goes along with Chapter 24: 'Rains'. I won't tell you what that one was about, you'll remember right away, lol.**

**Many, many thanks to my pretty beta Songster for her help with this one and all the rest. :-)**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Now let's see what happened in Paris…**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

'**Ties'**

_What have I done?_

It's the question that keeps circling my head over and over ever since the moment Bella walked out of my apartment.

It's the moment I made the biggest mistake of my life by saying the words that I never meant but were in my head nonetheless.

How did I ever think that she had anything to do with James, at _any_ level? Why didn't I keep my mouth shut? No, why didn't I keep those awful thoughts at bay? It's not like I really believe them.

I keep replaying the moment Bella left and the look on her face, so hurt and sad. It almost feels like a lifetime ago, when in reality she just left a couple of hours ago.

After she walked out the door, I just stood there, recounting the words I said to her and replaying the images of her and James in my mind over and over. Had I taken a little bit of time to just _see_ what was going on in front of me this afternoon, I would've seen Bella's obvious disdain of James. I saw her tight and fake smile, but the second I saw him touching her and kissing her hand, I didn't want to see anything else.

I still feel angry that he even touched her in the first place.

I shake my head and let a breath out. I'm so, so tired. I sit on the couch once again, resting my head against the back of it. The urge to run after her is almost unbearable; I want to beg for her forgiveness and go back to how we were, forget or erase all that happened. But I know better, that's impossible and she's right, I need to set things straight once and for all with my past and, after my horrible words, she needs to think about _us_ as well.

I shut my eyes tighter just thinking that after two weeks apart, she might decide that all of this is not worth it.

Fuck, I can barely think about that option without choking up or wanting to punch myself.

This is all my fault

Did we really rush into this? Feelings for her have always been so strong; it has been impossible not to let myself go with them. They have been foreign at the same time. I've never felt for anyone the way I feel for Bella: protectiveness after hearing about her past; pride at her accomplishments; love for her, for everything she is.

For months now, she's been everything in my world. How could she not be? Before Bella, work, Rose and Marie were the only truly important things in my life, filling my days. When Bella showed up, priorities shifted, things changed. All this time I've been thinking that they changed for the better, yet here I am, in almost the exact same situation I was two years ago.

I shake my head. No, things _have_ been better since I met Bella; I refuse to think of her as a distraction to what was happening around me.

She was the best thing in my life; she _is_ the best thing.

I get up from the couch and move to the kitchen, I need something to drink. When I reach the refrigerator, I have to stop and stare at the closed door.

It's filled with mementos of our times together: magnets from our time at the zoo; photos of that day and even a few with my family; a little note under a monkey magnet with her messy handwriting, letting me know that we needed to pick up some things from the market. The piece of paper even has a few doodles on the corners. She must have done those while she figured out what she needed to add to the list.

Fuck. I open the door forcefully and take the bottle of vodka, avoiding any more eye contact with those damn magnets.

Taking a glass, I head once again to the couch. I serve myself a drink and take it in one big gulp, feeling the mix of cold liquid and the burn from the alcohol. I wince and almost choke, not being used to drinking all that much, but I welcome it either way. Anything to drown this damn pressure in my chest.

I eye the bottle for a second. Maybe if I drink the whole thing, I might forget about today.

I pour myself another one and drink it the same way. Each gulp gets easier to stand and soon, it's like I can barely feel it at the back of my throat. My body starts to relax as well, and my mind starts to settle.

The problem is, the damn pressure in my chest doesn't go away. I even try to rub the spot around my heart, but it doesn't help.

That's when I realize that drinking myself stupid won't help. Nothing will until she's here with me once again.

I set the bottle and glass aside and simply stay there on the couch for the rest of the night. I ignore everything around me for the entire night, and every time I doze off, my dreams are filled with images of James taking Bella or Bella walking away from me.

It's a very restless night, and when morning comes, it's so different from the ones I've had in the past weeks. Today, I'm not wrapped up in Bella; we're not whispering in bed talking about our plans for the day; I'm not waking her up with my mouth and hands.

Instead, I look around and see the room filling with light, which only shows me more things that remind me of Bella: walls full of photos, surfaces with her drawings, silly knick knacks from around Paris.

I laugh without humor. I tease her often that those things don't go with the décor and now here I am, looking at them wistfully and wishing she would walk through the door with a new one to add to the collection.

What love does to you.

I check the clock on the wall, and widening my eyes, I realize that not only did I spend the entire night here on the couch but also that Bella must have already arrived in Seattle.

And she didn't text or call.

I move to retrieve my phone and ignore the headache that makes me wince. I didn't even drink that much last night, but the lack of sleep and what happened with Bella must have taken a greater toll on me than I realized.

I notice several missed calls. I remember turning it off, but I must've forgotten to turn it on again. Maybe I missed Bella's call? I check and there's nothing from her, just Tanya, Rose and Mom. By the look of things, I'm kind of lucky they didn't show up in the middle of the night. They must have thought I needed some time alone.

They're right. I'm not much company to anyone as it is.

I stare at the phone. Maybe I should take the first step and call her. I just want to hear her voice and know that she got to Seattle okay, but at the same time I don't want to intrude on her time with her family. She already left distraught last night, and I'm sure I'm not her Dad's favorite person right now. I don't even know the guy and I'm already screwing up in his eyes.

My thoughts are interrupted by an incoming text.

Bella.

_I just landed; everything is okay. I love you and miss you already ~ B_

I'm so relieved to see her words. I actually sink into the couch. She's okay; she loves me and misses me. I never thought such a short message could mean so much.

_Thank God, you're okay. I love you and miss you too ~ E_

I want to say so much more, but her message was short and to the point. This is obviously not the time to have this talk.

After reading her message again, I can finally breathe a little and head for the shower.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

An hour later, there is a loud pounding on my door, and from the voice on the other side, I know it's Rose.

"Hello, Rose," I greet her when I open the door, and she walks right in.

"Edward, for fuck's sake! You have a phone, answer it." She puts her bag down and eyes the bottle and glass I left behind last night.

"As you can see, I didn't drink it all, Rose." Her expression softens a little when she looks back at me. I have to look away, one look at my face and she'll know right away how I'm feeling.

"Why are you here, Rose?" I ask her. As far as I know, she doesn't know Bella left alone for Seattle.

"I got a call from Tanya last night; she didn't say much except that you were not okay. Later on, Alice called, after she and Jasper took Bella to the airport. _Alone_." She sounds concerned when she says that last part.

Right, I had forgotten about Jasper and Alice.

"What did she say?" I'm curious, and at the same time I dread her answer.

She's quiet for a few moments, just looking at me, I guess, trying to read my face and determine how much to tell me.

This just makes anxiety go higher.

"She didn't say much." She sighs. "Besides the fact that you're an asshole for making her friend cry, she was very insistent about coming here last night, but I think Jasper stopped her. When I asked just what the hell she was talking about, I didn't understand what she was talking about. In the end, she just told me to ask you. I could've come here last night, but I didn't want to leave Marie alone. Since I know you very well, whatever happened, I knew you needed to be alone for a little bit." I nod; she does know me.

"That's over though, I gave you time, and now you need to tell just what the hell happened." Rose sits down and crosses her legs, waiting for me to explain.

I take a big breath, running my hands through my hair. This is the first time I'll be letting the words out, and it's getting more and more real. It hurts to even think about Bella's words and face, and now saying the words… it's gut wrenching. Looking at Rose, though, I know she won't leave until I tell her what happened.

So I tell her– everything. I know from her hard looks that she wants to say something, but instead she lets me tell the entire story without interruptions.

"God, what mess." She shakes her head after I'm finished. As hard as that was, I have to admit I do feel a little relieved.

"So, what? Did you two break up? No wonder Alice was so upset." I've been pacing next to the couch while told her the story, but when her eyes meet mine, I have to look away and out the window. There's too much sadness in them, for me and for Bella.

"No, we're taking a time out." I almost laugh at that. It sounds so simple, and with any other couple I would say it was for the best, but now being in that situation… I see nothing good about being apart from the one you love.

I hear Rose hum, and then we're both silent. I know she's thinking about what happened and what to say next.

"Well, enough is enough." I hear her getting up from the couch and then feel her hand on my shoulder.

"We're not letting that asshole James get away with this once again. I'm calling the lawyer and let's see what he has to say; there must be something. If not, we'll find something else then." I turn around to look at her.

My sister, my beautiful and so fucking strong sister.

"You're not alone in this, Edward. You never were, but this time, we're not backing down. Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with us." She smiles, as her eyes fill with tears.

'We'– she said 'we' so many times– each time took a little bit of the weight off my shoulders. How did I dismiss this two years ago?

I smile back at her, so relieved and thankful to have her here with me, to have my family with me. I never minded helping her when things with Royce happened; I was glad she let me help her. And with her words, she's letting me know that it's her turn to look out for me now. With a smile, I pull her to me and hug her.

"Thank you," I whisper against her hair.

"Shush." She sounds happy as her body sags against mine, showing her evident relief at my simple words. I close my eyes. She was probably afraid that I wouldn't accept her help once again.

"Okay, enough of this. We need to go." And just like that, she breaks the hug and wipes her cheeks as she goes to grab her bag.

"Where are we going?" I really don't feel like going out.

"Mom and Dad's. We're having a family meeting." And with that, she heads for the door. I have no choice but to follow her.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

An hour later, Mom is pacing across her living room and muttering to herself. I don't remember seeing her like this since I was a child and decided to decorate my room… using crayons.

Dad is on the phone, talking to the lawyer and making arrangements for him to come in the afternoon.

Rose and I are sitting on the couch, watching them. Well, watching Mom, more like it. Had this situation not been so fucked up, I would've laughed.

"I can't believe that little piece of shit. If he thinks he's doing this to my boy again, he has another thing coming. The nerve of that guy." I look at Rose and see her smirking. Mom hardly ever curses.

"Mom, please, calm down." And the look Mom gives Rose shuts her up right away.

Esme Cullen is one scary woman.

"Never mind." Rose backs down and starts texting instead.

I sigh and rest my head against the back of the couch, closing my eyes. I never wanted this to happen in the first place. Who would, anyway? But at least it was _my_ situation to handle, _my_ responsibility. Now that I see how much this also affects others, especially my family, Bella; it makes me doubt the wisdom of ever letting them back in. At the same time, I'm selfish and thankful to have them with me, even as my life is spinning out of control again.

"Edward." I hear Mom and when I open my eyes, she's right there in front of me. She doesn't look that angry; she looks concerned instead.

"Hi, Mom." I smile at her. I want to assure her that I'm fine, but she'll see right through me and know immediately that I'm far from okay.

"I need a little bit of fresh air. Join me in the solarium?" I nod and stand up. Now that she seems calmer, she probably wants to say a few things.

We sit down, facing the yard and stay silent. I remember the afternoon that we sat in this exact same spot and talked about the last few years when I wasn't here with them. She was so understanding and forgiving, taking me back without a second thought. I grimace when I think that I'm once again making them go through something that hurts them, deeply..

"I'm sorry," I blurt.

"Why?" she asks. She's clearly surprised.

"For doing this again, for letting this happen again. After two years of silence, here I come, bringing more crap into your lives." I know it's not my fault, but what is it about me that makes James do this _again_?

Her answer is nothing like I expected it to be.

She laughs. Hard.

"Oh, my God, Edward. You can't possibly be serious about this? Right? You are not the one who should be sorry. If anything, after we're done with James, he'll be saying that to you." Another 'we' that lightens the weight.

I shrug.

"My dear boy. Come here." I rest my head on her shoulder as she hugs me. She feels so warm, and I feel so safe in her arms.

"This is not your fault, Edward. Not at all, it wasn't back then and it isn't now. So, stop it. Okay?" She shakes me a little and I grunt. "Now that we've cleared that up, I have to say that you're an idiot."

What?

"I mean about Bella, Edward. I understand your fears taking over at that moment, but telling her that? Actually believing, even for a split second that she could've been anything but honest with you all this time? _That_ makes me doubt your sanity."

I sigh and close my eyes. She's right and there hasn't been a second since Bella left that I haven't thought about her: what she's doing, what she's thinking, what will happen when I see her again.

"I know, Mom. You have no idea how bad I feel about that. I hate myself for it, for not being able to take those words back. Because no matter what I say from now on, how sorry I tell her I am, those words will always be out there."

And that thought scares me shitless. What if it's too much for Bella and she can't get past it?

"That's true." I feel her nodding and my heart sinks. "This could be too much for her, but you're doing it again. You see? You're making assumptions about other people's reactions without even talking to them first. You thought we would hate you after what happened with Renata, and without even talking to us, you stepped back from us."

"I know."

"Have you talked to her since she left?"

"She texted that she got to Seattle safely. Nothing after that." I move one hand to my pocket, touching my phone, almost begging it to ring.

"Good. So she's not completely withdrawing from you. I have to say, I'm surprised that she left so fast after your fight." I move my head up and see her thinking about her words.

"What do you mean? She did what she needed to do, Mom. Of course she took off."

"So dramatic, Edward. What I mean is that even though she was right to feel hurt by your words, it doesn't sound like her to just take off like that. She has been patient with you for months, and now she didn't stay?"

I remove myself from her hug and sit back.

"She needed to go to Seattle, and I needed to stay here to deal with this mess, Mom."

"I know. What I mean is that there might be more to this than her being hurt. You two haven't talked yet, so I'm only assuming, but I think there's more."

More? What more could there be?

"Edward?"

I turn and see Mom looking a little worried.

"I also think that it's time for you to talk to someone about all of this. And I don't mean we won't be here to listen, but maybe someone impartial to this whole situation, someone who could give you a different perspective, perhaps?"

"You mean a shrink?" My voice raises a little.

"Yes. This was your first fight with Bella and look how it ended. There is obviously so much you haven't faced since Renata. Bella has helped you, it's true, and I'm beyond thankful to her for that. But at the same time, you can't expect her to carry all that on her own, right?"

I stare at Mom and think about her words. Bella has helped me deal with a few things; she listens and gives me advice, but Mom's right, I can't expect her to heal all the wounds from years of self-defeating behavior. Even now, when all this crap is obviously James' fault, I'm still finding ways to blame it on _me_, _my_ stupidity.

"I'll- I'll think about it." I nod at Mom.

"Good." She pats my hand. "You know you can talk to us whenever you want, right? We're not going anywhere." She looks a little worried, as if I might actually walk away from them again. I hate that she still has that fear and that is my fault she feels this way.

"I know, Mom, I know." I smile and kiss her forehead, hugging her back

"Edward, the lawyers are here," Dad interrupts, and we turn his direction.

"Lawyers? How many did you call?" I'm fully expecting an army of lawyers in the living room right now.

"Well, I called a friend and then he offered to call another friend who might be able to help and then so on." He looks a little embarrassed. "Also, your lawyer, Alec, is here as well."

I stand up and go to him. He shouldn't feel embarrassed for helping me. I'm the idiot making him feel like this.

"Thanks, Dad." I hug him and after freezing in shock for a moment, he hugs me back.

"You're welcome, son." He sounds a little choked up. "We Cullens stick together and we're not letting him get away with this."

I laugh.

"Yeah, Mom made that clear earlier."

"Damn right, we're not," she says. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to feed an army of lawyers."

"Come on, son. Let's see what we can do to end this once and for all." Dad claps my back, and we enter the house.

We spend the rest of the day doing just that.

The next morning I'm awakened by a buzz. I haven't been able to really sleep much, only an hour or so at a time.

I open my eyes and take in my surroundings; I'm on my couch, a blanket covering me. I remember getting home last night, and just thinking about going to bed without Bella waiting for me almost made me go back to Mom and Dad's place. They offered me a room there, but I just needed to be alone after an afternoon of planning.

Next week will be hard enough as it is with all the meetings to deal with this mess. Any moment alone I can get, I'll take, even when all they do is remind me of Bella not being here.

I remember the buzz and realize that it's my phone next to the couch. I get up immediately and see a text from Bella.

_I love you ~ B_

It's simple and perfect, and lets me breathe easier. From the time on my phone, I can tell that it's nighttime in Seattle. I smile thinking that maybe she can't sleep without telling me this first.

_I'll never stop loving you ~ E_

I text her back. No matter what happens, those words are the absolute truth.

She doesn't text back, but I don't worry. I know she's thinking of me as much as I'm thinking of her.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

I spend Saturday afternoon with Rose and Marie. I'm tired as hell; I keep going through everything over and over and even at night. I toss and turn, thinking about how things could've been different, where I went wrong, how I can change things now.

My head hurts and even with all of that, I still haven't been able to find a solution.

"Come on, Uncle," Marie whines. "Do the voices, please?"

I sigh; I'm not much of a playmate this afternoon.

"Leave your Uncle alone, Marie. He's tired," Rose says from the entrance of the kitchen.

"Okay." She sighs. "I'm gonna show Aimée my princess dress," she brightens up, and skips up the stairs.

"Aimée? As in Alice's daughter?" I ask Rose.

"Yeah, they're coming here in a little bit, for Marie's playdate." Rose shrugs like it's nothing, but she still eyes me with a little worry.

I haven't seen Alice for a couple of days and I know she took Bella to the airport. I honestly don't know what to think;,she saw her in a very bad state, and from her call to Rose that night, she was pissed as hell. She's probably still mad at me. Not that I blame her.

"Oh. I think I should go home then. I don't want things to get uncomfortable in front of the girls." I stand up and just as Rose is about to speak, the intercom buzzes.

Rose opens the door, and a happy Marie runs to both of them and takes Aimée's hand, hurrying upstairs once again.

It's just Alice, Rose and me in front of the door.

"Alice." I nod at her, a form of greeting. I'm so ashamed; I can't even look at her right now, and I'm waiting for her harsh words to come my way. They don't come though; she's actually very quiet.

"Edward, please–" Rose pleads from behind me.

"I have to go, Rose. I need to make some phone calls." I don't look at either of them as I say this and move to take my coat.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I turn and kiss her forehead and nod at Alice again.

Before anyone can say a word, I'm out of there.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

On Sunday, I decide to just be alone at home. I receive a few calls from Mom and Rose asking me to come over, but I just wanted to be alone.

That night, I realize that my back can't take any more of the couch, so I go to sleep in my guestroom. I can't sleep on our bed.

Now it's Monday morning and I'm lying here on my bed, trying to decide if I should just skip work altogether or go in later. I haven't had a decent night of sleep since Bella left, and with everything that is happening, I can't let myself go to work in this state.

I hear the sound of my phone, and I roll my eyes. It's probably someone from work, asking me when I'll be there today.

However, when I see the screen, it's not work; it's Bella. She's calling, not just texting.

I hurry and answer, as I sit up on the bed.

"Hello? Bella?" I don't care how eager I sound; I just want to hear her voice.

"Hi" is her small reply. I close my eyes and imagine her in front of me, smiling and excited about whatever is happening in her life. Just like she looks every morning.

We're both silent after her greeting. I want to ask her so many things, but _she_ called _me_. It's at her pace now, not mine.

Yet, she doesn't say anything else, making me think that maybe this is all she wanted: to hear my voice? I see the clock by the bed and realize that it's late in Seattle, yet here she is calling me.

I decide to just break the silence.

"Shouldn't you be asleep right now? Isn't it like the middle of the night in Seattle?"

"Yeah, it is. I just couldn't sleep," she answers shyly.

I hum and settle back in bed, already feeling myself relax even after the last couple of days. Just hearing her voice does that.

"Where are you?" she asks.

"At home, I skipped work today."

"Oh."

"Do you want me to hang up so you can go back to sleep?" I ask, maybe she wants to rest now that she heard my voice.

"No! I just… I couldn't sleep. I wanted to hear your voice, just to know that you're there." She sounds almost panicked.

"I'm here, Bella. I'll always be here." I reassure her, smiling as I arrange myself on the bed a little better.

"Are you in bed, Edward Cullen, in the middle of the morning?" Her voice sounds a little amused and I smile picturing her.

"Yeah, I am. I couldn't sleep last night either."

She hums and then silence falls again.

"Don't hang up," she suddenly says and her voice sounds a little tired. Maybe hearing my voice is having the same effect on her. We're both relaxing.

"I won't. Sleep, I'll be here."

We don't say anything else after that. I only hear her breathing through the line, and I close my eyes, picturing her in our bed, right next to me: her hair all tangled over the pillow, her hands under her cheek.

Slowly I start to fall asleep, but I can't let her go without telling her the most important thing: that I love her. Her reply is not very understandable, and it makes me chuckle that she's fighting sleep to say those words back.

Sleep comes and when I awake hours later, for the first time in almost a week, I'm able to truly smile and see a light at the end of the tunnel.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

The next morning, I talk to Bella again. We don't say much and stay pretty much away from the main subject. We both know it's something we need to address in person, and at the same time, I don't want to have this talk and interrupt her time with her family. I just want her happy.

On Tuesday, I'm at work, and between working and dealing with the lawyers, it's a rough day. What makes it worth it is to know that things will be better if everything works as planned. James will no longer be a subject in my life, and I can finally let that go.

When I get home that night, I find something very unexpected waiting for me by my door.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rose waiting for me.

"What are you doing here?" I panic a little, why are the four of them here at my home? I feel the urge to get out, but where would I go?

"I think we need to have a little talk, dear Edward," Alice says. She looks a little pissed, but not as much as I was expecting.

I'm not sure if that's worse or not.

I let them in to the apartment, and they all settle around the living room. I offer them a drink, but they all decline.

"You're an ass." That's Emmett. I guess this is it.

"I know." I sigh and sit on the couch, next to Rose.

"Well, at least you're admitting it. I would've punched you if you didn't." He leans a little forward, his hands on his knees as he stares right at me.

"You're lucky I didn't see Bella before she left for Seattle, because four years ago, I promised myself to do _everything_ in my power to never see the sad girl she was when she came here." I can tell this is hard for him. "She's amazing, and if I didn't see her as a little sister and I hadn't found Rose, I'd be a lucky bastard to call her my girlfriend.

"I haven't seen Bella this happy, ever, Edward. She's never been like this, and I know it's because of you. At the same time, you're the one who hurt her the most. I swear, it's taking everything in me not to punch you right now. And that's only because it would hurt Bella, and I can't bear do that to her."

He takes a big breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them, they're so clear; it's like the Emmett that just threatened me vanished.

"That being said. What the hell is up with you not calling us to come here and help you? I thought we were friends and all." He actually does look a little hurt and when I see Jasper and Alice, I see similar expressions.

"Uh?" What the hell is going on here?

"Did you really think we'd let you fight that asshole James alone? You're crazy, man. You're stuck with us." Emmett grins.

I'm not sure what to say. They are Bella's friends – no – they're her _family_. They'd have every right never speak to me again after the accusations I threw her way. No one is more ashamed than me, and if Emmett wanted to punch me, I'd let him.

"Please, Edward. Stop with the moping. Okay? We're here and we're not going anywhere. What kind of friends do you think we are? Yeah, what you said to Bella was crappy, but things are far from black and white here. You're both our friends, and that will stay that way, no matter what. You both need to get your shit together and move on," Alice says, and out of everyone here she was the one I least expected to hear this from.

"Alice would've said this last Saturday, but you just had to run, didn't you, little brother?" Rose smiles at me with glassy eyes.

I look around the room and see these people; these strangers only a few months back, now here supporting me. _Me_. We've spent time together, having fun and talking, but more than that, they're intertwined in my life and family. And now here they are, just because they care, no agendas or anything else.

They're amazing and just like it is for Bella, they're not just friends, they're _family_.

"Thank you," I whisper. I can't manage to say anything more than that.

"You're welcome." Emmett gets up from his seat and heads for the kitchen. How he knew where it was, I have no idea. "Now, I'm starving. What do you have?"

"I'll go check on him. This could end badly, since you probably don't have much food." Rose follows him. Alice gives Jasper a little squeeze to his hand and follows Rose.

Jasper just stares at me. He doesn't say anything, and his face doesn't show much either. I don't know what he'll say; maybe he disagrees with Alice and Emmett.

"Tell me the story." He doesn't demand; it's more like he knows getting the words out might help.

So I do, I tell him everything that happened. He listens and nods from time to time, never interrupting. It's no easier than the other times I've recounted the events aloud, but it does help a little.

"Emmett was right. You were an ass." He laughs without humor.

"I know, and all I want to do is go to her and beg for her forgiveness." I just want her in my life, in any capacity.

"Then why don't you?" he asks curiously.

"Because she needs time, with her family and away from me. I need to settle a few things here as well and think about my next steps." I know it's the best we can do, but the more I think about it, the more I think about _her_– I think 'fuck the plan, go to her.'

"If things were the other way around, how would you feel about her coming to you?"

I think about it for a second and picture her coming to me. I wouldn't care about her telling me she was sorry, because I would've gotten past that a long time ago. She wouldn't need to tell me she was sorry at all.

"Exactly," Jasper says suddenly. "That big smile on your face just answered the damn question." He claps my back and heads for the kitchen without saying anything else.

They're amazing friends indeed.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

"Fuck, it's cold." I mutter and keep on walking. I have on a thick coat and a scarf, but December in Paris doesn't make it easy, even with warm clothes. The wind is freezing and it actually hurts a little to breathe.

People pass by me, all hurrying to get somewhere warm or heading for the subway behind me. They'd think I was crazy if they knew where I was heading, especially at this time of the night. All day long Jasper's words have been circling in my head.

"_If things were the other way around, how would you feel about her coming to you?"_

I've spent all day at work, and as things are, there is nothing more I can do, except let my lawyers do their work. They'll have an answer for me next week.

The word about Jane's actions spread around the studio, and everyone was talking about it, even though no one asked me outright. I knew the gossip. Most of them were surprised and disgusted by her actions. We considered ourselves almost a family now, and I came to realize that she not only betrayed me, but also the rest of her coworkers and friends.

Paul was furious; he felt so stupid for not seeing things before. He worked with her closely and was angry and embarrassed. I told him she fooled us all and that it was not his fault. She was a grown woman and knew what she was doing.

Funny how I can say and believe those words when they are directed to someone else, yet when it comes to me, I keep thinking that there was something I could've done to prevent all of this.

I keep walking, the cold wind hitting my face and I keep passing more people.

I see the lights from the city in the distance, but I will only stop once I get to my destination: _Pont Neuf_. I love that spot. I can see the city clearly, and when I stand there, it's just me, the river, and the city lights in the distance. I actually love all of Paris' bridges, but that one is a little special to me.

It was the place where, years ago, I decided to become a fashion designer. I knew I would; it was a dream for years, but after a hard critique from my art teacher in school, I thought that maybe I didn't have what it took to be any kind of artist.

I went to that bridge and saw the city before me, the endless possibilities. I knew life was simply too short not to do what I really wanted, whether I failed or not, at least I tried. That spot was where I finally decided on a direction.

I stop when I reach it: it's as beautiful as I remembered it. I can't believe I haven't brought Bella here yet. She'd love the sight from the bridge, more at night, as the lights illuminate the river, like little stars dancing in the water.

I shiver from the cold, but I don't care. It actually helps me to do what I came here to do, to keep my head clear.

With gloved hands, I retrieve the paper from my pocket: Renata's letter.

I finally grew a pair and decided to read it, to see what the hell she had to say to James and maybe find some sense in her actions. I knew that was a long shot, but I needed to try.

The first place I thought about was this spot. It was the place where I made a decision that changed my life. I felt it was fitting since this letter would help me decide what to do next.

I open it, holding it tight so as to not let the wind carry it away, and taking a big breath, I read it.

The words flow beautifully from line to line; putting onto paper such deep feelings that it's impossible to think these words came from the woman I married. She talks about love and a future, and fuck, it even hurts to think she won't have any of this.

She loved the bastard. She _loved_ him.

I tighten my grip around the paper; this is so much different than I thought.

I can't think of anything else as I put the letter back in my pocket and place my hands in front of me, supporting myself on the stone railing for a few moments.

I breathe in and out, seeing the fog from the cold as I exhale. I actually welcome the burn from the freezing wind.

"Fuck!" I yell.

This changes how I see Renata, not just as a cold bitch, but someone who, in her mind, had a reason to do these things. As fucked up as that was.

Images of my time with her flood my mind: all the lies, the outings when she would go to him, all the moments she must've shared with him, all the while loving him.

Then I remember discovering what she did and throwing her away, refusing to listen to what she had to say. She died alone, for fuck's sake. She loved someone, and he wasn't there for her.

I lift my head and stare into the city.

He wasn't there.

I don't know if he loved her or not, but he should've said something to Renata. He clearly didn't if she ended up killing herself. Was it because of love? Did my actions have anything to do with her suicide after all?

Too many questions, but the only fact that keeps coming back to me is that, he wasn't there for her when she was hurting.

Like I'm not there for Bella now that she's hurting.

She won't kill herself, of course, but she shouldn't be hurting at all, now or ever. And from the calls we've had every day, and sensing the relief in her voice when she hears mine, I know I'm the one who can stop that pain.

What the hell am I doing here?

She's always the one taking the first steps: first kiss, first to say 'I love you', and she always waits for me to catch up. Well, enough is enough. It's time for me to show her the man she brought to the surface, not the one I am for her, but the man I am _because_ of her.

I'm going to Seattle to get my girl back.

* * *

><p><strong>And there ya go, he went for his girl.<strong>

**So, initially this was supposed to be in LB, however, at the time I debated a lot about doing this part from EPOV or BPOV… you know who won, lol. For many reasons, BPOV felt the best, however this side always stayed with me. As you can see, not much happens here plot-wise and you heard a lot in LB about this week as well. So, this is not that foreign.**

**In other news, I already wrote outtakes 8 and 9 and I'll post as soon as they are ready. I'm thinking about a 10th one, but I still have to work on some points. If you see clearly, all the outtakes are chronological, so you can guess what may come next. ;-)**

**Also, I completely forgot to thank twilover76 for recc'ing LB in her story 'No Ordinary Proposal' back in July, I think. I'm sooo lame, but at least I catch up, lol. She's super sweet and I totally blushed and smiled when I saw that. There might've been squealing. Might've.**

**Thank you.**

**Anyway, I might be forgetting something again, but nothing to do but to post it in the future, lol. This is why I write everything.**

**Thanks for reading (if you're still here) and I'll see ya around.**


	8. Moments

**Hello there, ladies.**

**Long time no see. I'm glad you liked the last outtake and EPOV. :-)  
><strong>

**I don't know if you're still reading this, lol, but here comes another peek at these kids' life together. This takes place between the last chapter (Chapter 27: 'Cufflinks') and the epilogue ('Little Buttons').**

**Many, many thanks to my beta Songster for working on this one. :-)**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Let's see if this was worth it…**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

'**Moments'**

_Ring_

"Is there something wrong, Edward?" I'm half amused and half worried about how he's been acting for the past hour.

We're on a date, celebrating our first year anniversary of meeting by the fountain. It's not the day that we first became a couple, but it's the day when things started to change for us. For good. I was really giddy when he mentioned that he wanted to celebrate.

Edward wouldn't tell me where we were going, but said that I would like it. As if there was any doubt about it. Sometimes his nervousness is endearing, others… I just roll my eyes at him.

I had smiled big and bright when he took me down that familiar road to the _Louvre._It had been one of our first dates, even though at the time we just saw it as two friends hanging out instead of what it really was: the beginning of everything.

We are so blind; sometimes I wonder how we even got together at all.

At the museum, he took me down the same halls and we stopped in front of the same art pieces as we did that day. He kissed me here and there, turning me into a giggling mess that had people looking in our direction with smiles or disapproving frowns. I didn't care, as long as he held my hand the entire time we were there.

Even as we walked down the same roads we did a year ago, the feelings were very different this time. Back then, I had been excited and nervous about what would happen next. Would he hold my hand? Would he want something more or just leave it at just being friends? Now, the excitement was still there, but it's not about whether we'll take that first step towards something more, it's more about the infinite possibilities that now lay ahead of us. Possibilities that, until meeting Edward, I hadn't given much thought about.

Besides enjoying the present, the future is all I think about nowadays: our work, our families, a wedding down the line, kids… a life.

As always, I can't stop smiling when I picture such images.

After the museum, we went to eat at Bernadette's. This time it was not one of the banquets we often indulge ourselves in, Edward said he had another surprise for me, and, honestly, I didn't want to pass out from food consumption today.

We're now walking the few blocks from the _Métro_ station to '_Mon Petit Paradis_' and Edward keeps getting more and more nervous as we approach the bakery.

"What? No, nothing is wrong. Why?" He looks at me almost suspiciously.

"Well, you just look nervous and kind of weird. Maybe we should go home instead and end the date here." I don't want to, but his behavior is making me a little sad now. I thought we were having a nice time.

He stops slowly and turning in my direction, he pulls me to him.

"I'm such an idiot, Bella. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I don't want to end our date." He kisses my forehead over and over.

"Then, what's wrong?" I ask against his chest.

"Nothing is wrong, I'm just-" He takes a big breath. "Overwhelmed, I guess. It's reliving those first days we were together a year ago that has me like this. It's not bad at all, though. Don't worry, please." I look up and see him smiling down at me. It's genuine and bright and mine.

I nod, smiling back, and kiss his chest. I understand what he's saying about feeling overwhelmed.

It has been a little bit like that for me too, wandering through the same places we did a year ago and feeling like so much happened those first months. Yet, at the same time, no time has gone by. I mean, a year? That's nothing.

We keep walking and after a few minutes, we're right at the square. Nothing has changed here and I'm glad of that. It's nice to know that we can come here whenever we want and be inside this little bubble, sitting by the fountain and talk about our day.

It's not that often that we get to do that, though. A month ago, Edward and I moved in together. Even though we had been a couple for less than a year, it was actually an easy decision to say yes to it, however, deciding where to live was not.

I knew we couldn't live above the bakery, and Edward no longer wanted to live at his place. It had been the place he used to forget about his former life, just somewhere to sleep and keep his things, but now he wanted a home, _we_ wanted a home. In the end, we decided to get a new place, which we found with the help of Esme and her contacts around the city. It was the perfect apartment for the both of us, and I could see us creating a life there from the first time I stepped in the front door.

The entire move was crazy: trying to decide what to leave behind and what to buy, where to put the couch or which direction the bed should face in the bedroom. It was the reason for a few fights, but also for great making up afterwards. Still, the entire process was perfect, seeing our place slowly fill with our blended belongings, how they matched or even how they _mismatched_.

Since then, we've both been busy with work and even more now that September is rapidly approaching and Fashion Week is just around the corner. I've been so nervous about the show I'll be presenting there, and Edward has been amazing, giving me support and advice when I feel too overwhelmed.

We _really_ needed this date and time to ourselves.

We move to sit down by the fountain and Edward tells me to wait for him for a minute. I nod and I know right then that he'll be going to get something from the bakery.

The guy can't live without his pastries.

I smirk thinking how many times I've used that weakness to my favor. Naked and in bed.

Not bad at all.

I look around and see little kids running, tossing a ball or splashing water. The day is hot and when I close my eyes, I feel the hot rays on my skin as well as a little drizzle on my skin. This reminds me more and more of that first day: how I was standing by the fountain and looking to my side I caught this guy staring at a little button. I smile and I feel the need to hold Edward's hand, just feel him next to me.

I'm about to open my eyes and go find him, when I feel a shadow covering the sun and that always familiar tingle on my skin. He's back.

Sheltering my eyes with my hand, I see him towering over me. The sun is right behind him, so I can't see his face clearly, just the outline of his unruly hair, but I somehow know that he's smiling.

"What took you so long?" I tease him.

"Laurent didn't want to let me go. He only did when I told him you were waiting here for me. Then he asked why was I wasting time with him instead of going to you?" He shakes his head and sits down next to me.

"Well, he's right, you know. Don't keep me waiting." I tease again, but when I look up to his face, now closer to mine, he looks really serious.

"Never, Bella, I'll never make you wait again." Leaning down, he kisses me softly.

When he retreats, I feel his hand tucking one of my locks behind my ear and slowly touching my cheek. I want to ask him why is he so serious all of a sudden, but, not only is his touch distracting me, the look he's giving me is hypnotizing. He often does that, gives me these long stares, like he's seeing me for the first time, or like he can't believe I'm there with him. I love it and hate it at the same time. It makes me feel loved beyond measure, but also like he's afraid this will end.

"Okay, let's eat." He smiles and just then I notice that he has a small box in his other hand.

I nod, forgetting about my concerns, and we start eating. The box is full of _macarons_, obviously, all in different colors. It looks like a sweet rainbow in a pink box.

As we eat, my eyes go to the other side of the square, to my former shop. It's closed now and I'm sad to think that it might never be open again.

_Monsieur_ Grenier died two months ago in June. It was simply his time; there was nothing anyone could've done. He didn't have a family, and it warms my heart to think that he always saw me like a daughter. He had been so happy when I finally made it on my own. He might not be able to see me during Fashion Week next month, but I'm glad he got to see me starting to succeed before he died.

"Hey, don't be sad." I put my macaron down and lean against Edward's shoulder as he wraps his arm around me. He can always read my moods.

"I know, I just miss him." I do, I really do. He was the first man to give me a chance to get back into the designing world, even if I worked as a seamstress. He taught me so much.

"I know you do, baby." I feel his lips, kissing the top of my head.

We eat in silence after that, at least silence on our part; the square is full of the noise of a summer afternoon. It's not uncomfortable being like this. It's nice to just have him next to me, sharing sweets.

Next thing I know, the box is empty.

"Um, Edward? Where did all the _macarons_ go?" He looks to the empty box, his face heating a bit and oh my God, how I love him right this second.

"Gone?" That does it, I just laugh at his guilty face. I mean, there were a dozen _macarons_, and I ate maybe four.

"It's not my fault, Bella. They're too good. And don't laugh, you ate them too." He tosses the empty box into the trash and starts tickling me.

"Edward! Don't blame this on me, I ate like a third of the box." I laugh and squirm away from him. I even manage to stand up from the bench, but two steps in, his arms envelop me.

"Okay, okay. Maybe I ate most of the pastries," he whispers into my ear.

"Maybe?"

"Yeah, I totally did." He kisses my neck, and with each touch of his lips against my skin, the teasing starts to switch into something more. Before I turn around and attack him, I remember that we're in public.

"Edward. Take me home," I plead.

He stops kissing me, and I'm about to protest when he turns me to face him.

"Maybe we can have something a little better. What do you say if we visit your old apartment?" He looks eager but nervous. Nervous like he was earlier in our date.

I think it for a moment. The apartment is _right there,_ and Alice will not be renting it again. She says she doesn't want anyone else using that space again. It was her first place here in Paris and mine as well. It's too important now.

Still, it doesn't mean that we can use it to have sex in whenever we want.

Then again, is _right there_.

"I don't know, Edward. It doesn't feel right." There's absolutely no conviction in my voice, but I have to at least say it.

"Okay, I get it. Let's go home then." Wait, what? He's giving up _that_ easily?

"What are you up to, Edward? You never give up so easily." I narrow my eyes at him.

"Bella, I'm giving you what you want. You don't want to go upstairs, that's okay. Let's go home and continue to celebrate." He shrugs and holds my hand, tugging me forward.

He looks way too calm about this.

"Oh, no. We're going upstairs right now; I can't wait until we get home." Even though we live just a few blocks away.

I hold him firmly and lead him up to the apartment, nothing can stop me. However, when we get there, I remember that I don't have the key anymore. So much for my plan to have him right now.

"Edward-" I'm about to say this to him, but suddenly, a set of keys are dangling in front of my face.

"How did you-?"

"I might've asked Laurent for the keys before." He winks and leads me inside, up the stairs and into the apartment.

"You knew I would say yes to coming here." Why does this surprise me? We think very much alike.

"Of course, Bella. I know you, and I was sure you wouldn't resist my charms and kisses and touches." He sounds so smug.

"I should've known." I shake my head, but stop smiling when I hear music coming from the apartment.

"Edward, someone is here. Alice is probably there with Jasper." Not something I want to witness.

"No they're not. Come on, Bella, let's have the rest of our date."

I'm about to ask him what is he talking about when he opens the door and the music is much louder, surrounding the room. Everything looks similar to when I lived here. The furniture was Alice's so of course I left it here, but the frames, paintings and everything that made this place special to me, is now at our home.

The balcony doors are open and thankfully a soft breeze has kept the apartment from heating up.

"Edward?" I turn around and see him looking at me.

"Come on, there's something else." Tugging at my hand, he leads me up to the upper floor, to my former studio. I really don't understand what's happening, there's nothing in that room.

When he opens the doors, I realize how wrong I was.

Photos, thousands of photos cover the walls, even the balcony doors, except for one, which is open and lets the sunlight envelop the room.

I let go of Edward's hand and take a closer look at the pictures. I gasp when I see that they are no ordinary ones; no, they are of us, of our life together.

We're at the zoo, the park, the fountain, the market; we are smiling or making silly faces, staring at each other, or making shy looks at one another when the other is not looking. We're together or with our families; and some photos are of places we've been, or things that caught our eyes.

The more I look at them, the more I want to cry. This is our life: happy and warm and fulfilled in ways I never imagined. In this tiny room there is _everything._

"How-?" I turn to ask Edward how the hell did he manage this, but my words are all forgotten when instead of seeing him standing by the door where I left him, he's right in front of me… down on one knee.

"Bella." He clears his throat, nervously. "There is nothing I can say that would really describe how much you've changed my life in the past year. I've thought about a million ways to tell you that I love you, that I'll love you forever and that I'll try to make you happy every day for the rest of our lives together. But just nothing came to mind.

"So, I thought it might be best to _show_ you instead." He motions with his hand to the room. "These pictures are my promise to you: a life of laughter and family, of trips and afternoons in bed, of failure and success. This is our life, Bella and it's nothing but a glimpse of what is to come." Tears are threatening to spill.

"See that empty section?" He motions to my right. I nod; I saw that.

"It shows that this is not over, that there will always be something more to add. It will be our wedding, our honeymoon, the birth of our children, our 50th wedding anniversary, if diabetes hasn't killed me by then." He smiles and I shake my head.

"No way that's happening, Edward. I'm cutting off the sweets as of tomorrow if necessary." He chuckles.

As if I'm joking.

"The best part of this is that the empty section will never be filled. There will always be something to add.

"Yeah, we'll fight and make up, and I'll drive you insane with my micromanagement." Now, I chuckle. "But I can promise you that I'll never hurt you intentionally. I never want to see you cry and hurt like you were when I said those awful words last year. If there is anything I can promise you, it's that I do learn, I learn not to make the same mistakes again."

A pained look crosses his face when he says those words. I know he still feels awful about that week, but I've long moved past that.

"I know we might be moving too fast, but this is not something that I just came up with, Bella. This is forever for me; _you_ are forever for me. It doesn't matter if this happens tomorrow or ten years from now, I just want you to know that my promise won't change: my life is with you."

The tears are now falling freely as I stare down at his beautiful face.

"Bella Swan, will you marry me and make me the luckiest and happiest man in Paris, hell, the world." He lifts his hands and nestled between them there is a little box with the most beautiful ring I've ever seen.

I close my eyes and feel tears trailing down my cheeks. I can't believe this is happening today. I knew we would marry at some point, but a year after meeting was not the moment I thought. I knew I wanted to marry him long ago, but Edward is a planner and I knew he needed to make things fit in his head first. He must have thought about this for God knows how long.

When I open my eyes and see his eager eyes staring at me, I give him the only answer that my heart will allow out of my lips.

"Yes, Edward, of course I'll marry you." The smile he gives me and his glassy eyes are everything right now.

He places the platinum ring on my finger, a perfect fit, and rises to kiss me: lips, cheeks, forehead, even my eyes when I'm caught off guard. We're both laughing through our tears, though I'm almost sobbing.

"Is this why you've been nervous all afternoon?"

"Yeah, I wanted things to be perfect." Of course he did.

"You silly man, you could've proposed after breakfast and I would've said yes."

"And here I was, collecting all these pictures and having the guys put them up while we were out, to make something memorable." He huffs teasingly. I giggle and for some reason feel incredibly happy that our family was also part of this.

I flatten my hand against his chest and see the diamond sparkle in the sunlight. It's so pretty and mine, like this man right here. This is the ring that I'll wear forever, and maybe someday it will go to one of our grandchildren, with the story of our life together.

Grandchildren.

I cry harder.

"What's wrong? Are you regretting saying yes, now?"

I look up, and, after wiping my tears, touch his face. The face I'll see every day for years to come: I'll know every wrinkle, every gray hair.

"Make love to me, Edward. You showed me how you picture our life together, now I want to _feel_ it."

We make love on the floor of the studio, with a breeze coming through the windows, cooling our heated skin and music notes floating around us from downstairs. And like that, we seal our promise in front of the blanket of photos Edward had put together.

I feel his hands, his mouth, his love radiating through his heated skin, seeping into mine. We repeat promises and voice what we need in that moment: he pushes and grips; I arch and scratch. We've done these things many times before, but this afternoon, it's different.

It's another start.

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

_Lace_

"God, Bella, you look gorgeous," Alice gushes next to me.

She has seen my dress before today, but now with the make-up and hair and everything ready, even I'm having a hard time recognizing the woman in front of me.

A bride.

Today is the day that I'm marrying Edward and I still can't believe the day is finally here.

It has been almost two months since he proposed. We wanted to marry just at the end of the summer, to take advantage of the weather. However, with our busy schedules, the best we could do was marry early October. The weather's still nice, though, so at least we have that in our favor.

Our family and friends had been thrilled, even though it made them crazy to help us plan a wedding in such a short time. At least neither of us wanted something too big, just something special.

We decided that marrying at _Jardin des Plantes_ was what we really wanted. It was beautiful, full of colors and light, and it was where we had one of our first dates, so it was special to us.

Edward worked on asking for all the necessary permissions, since I was organizing this and the Fashion Week show last month. Edward almost wanted to postpone the wedding, seeing that I was so tired. Fortunately, with the help of everyone, and also because after Fashion Week, I was free to work on the wedding; I was able to convince him not to.

It was fast to get married two months after the proposal, but we knew what we wanted and we did not want to wait. Quite the contrary actually, the more time passed, the more excited we became for the day to come.

I felt like a teenager, catching myself writing my name as Isabella Cullen on my sketchbooks.

If I'm honest, this day couldn't come soon enough.

"Edward is going to die when he sees the dress." I hear Rose in the back. I never take my eyes away from the mirror, as I examine the dress.

After settling on the date, the dress had been a tricky issue. Of course Edward couldn't design it, even though he pouted like crazy, and I'm pretty sure he had some designs hidden somewhere.

However, I really didn't have the time to both design and make myself a dress either. So, Edward suggested something different: to have his team create it. I would help in the design initially, but then leave it all up to them.

I had been a little wary about it; sure that Edward could not control himself from taking a peek. All that wariness vanished when Tanya took it upon herself to make sure Edward wouldn't come near the dress.

So that's what we did. I designed it, talked to the team and they worked on it. Once a week, I went to a fitting for something that needed my attention.

This ended up being a big issue for Edward, not only trying to stay away from something he really wanted to be a part of, but also trusting his team to work on the dress I'd be wearing.

It was for the best though. They had been incredibly honored that Edward trusted them this much and their work relationship improved because of it.

Now that I'm wearing the dress, I'm proud of them as well. Edward is very lucky.

"May I come in?" my Dad asks from the other side of the curtain.

"Yeah, Dad, come in." I turn to see him enter.

"Bella? We're all ready to start." He stops and his face lights up when he sees me.

"Oh, Bella." He chokes a little. I want to cry.

"Rose and I are going outside. I'll see you in a little bit." Alice kisses my cheek and she leaves.

Dad looks a little uncomfortable, but he comes to stand in front of me.

"You look so much like your mother." He shakes his head.

"Dad-"

"Shh. You look so beautiful, honey. I don't mean just the dress and make up; you just _glow_. Even more when that boy enters the room." Dad chuckles. "He does the same too; he can't take his eyes away from you. And even though I'd say no man is enough for you, Edward might come near that honor."

"Dad!" I swat his chest.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But seriously, Bella. He's a lucky guy to have you and I think you are as well. He's a good man, and he'll be a good husband and father someday." And I choke again.

"I knew it that day when he went looking for you in Seattle He was shattered from only a week apart. That boy loves you so much, I just know that he'll keep his promise."

"What promise?" I frown. I don't remember Edward telling me this.

"During the week that he was there, after one of the dinners, we had a little talk. The way he talked about you, Bella. I just-" He sighs. "He knew that he'd marry you someday and he promised to always make you happy. I told him that was impossible; women are weird, who knows what they want." I swat him again.

"He looked straight at me, and with a serious face he said that it didn't matter, he'd make you happy no matter what. Whether it was bringing you chocolate cookies at 3:00 am, and then you change your mind and want almond ones, he'd go outside and do that for you. You may not know what you want sometimes, but he sure as hell will try to figure it out."

I reach for some tissues. Waterproof make up is kind of my salvation.

"I'd say you remember that when you're pregnant. Your mother sure made me go out at odd times for weird things. I could've used an Edward at the time."

I laugh. Mom told me some of those stories at some point. A wave of pain hits me when I think of her and how she's missing this and how she'll miss the birth of her grandchildren.

"Oh, Daddy." I hug him and bury my face on his chest. That familiar scent is always so comforting. Even in a suit, he smells of woods and green. How does he do that?

"Just be happy, honey. That's all I want." He rocks me a little bit.

"He makes me happy, Dad– so happy."

"Good, then." He pats my back. "Now let's start this show, if that boy waits another second, he might explode."

"Thanks, Dad." I nod and peck his cheek.

As I check my make-up and dry my tears, Dad comes closer.

"I also came to give you this. I found it the other day, and I think you might want it." Out of his pocket he takes a small pouch. Inside there is a thin silver chain with a single diamond hanging. I recognize it.

"I gave this to your Mom the day you were born. It was the only thing I could think of to show her how much I loved her at the time. After that, she always wore it and whenever we were away from you as a baby, she'd finger it. She always said you were the bright light of her life, and the diamond represented that."

I remembered this. Mom always said that, and I always smiled at her when she did. I remember thinking that I wanted something like that when I had my own children.

I stare at it and feel more tears threatening to spill. She's still here somehow.

"So, maybe you want to wear it, you know, for the something old? I don't know, maybe you have something already-"

"No, Dad. It's perfect." I had something borrowed that was also old, but this is better, even more special.

"Help me with it?" He does, and then kisses my cheek.

"Perfect." We both look at my reflection in the mirror.

"Okay, let's go then."

We leave the tent, one of the three that were set up for the wedding party. Another one is for the ceremony and a larger one is for the reception.

We find Alice, Rose, Aimée and Marie outside the one where the ceremony will be held. Everyone is seated and ready to start. Aimée and Marie look adorable in their little dresses and so excited to be the flower girls. From the amount of petals I see at their feet, it looks like they already started spreading the joy.

Alice is my Maid of Honor and Rose my bridesmaid. Edward couldn't choose, so now Emmett and Jasper are his Best Men.

A minute later, the music starts and the girls enter, I feel my Dad's hand patting mine.

"Ready?"

"Always." I nod.

All I do as we walk down the aisle is look at Edward. He never saw the dress and I want to see his reaction. His eyes never leave me, and I giggle when I see Emmett tug him back to prevent him from coming to me before I reach the altar. I'm no better though; I feel Dad doing the same to my elbow.

"Bella," he whispers when we reach him. My name always sounds so different when he says it, like it's a sacred word.

We stand face to face, holding each other's hands, and with his tux and shiny eyes, he's never looked more beautiful.

"You like it? Worth the wait?" I whisper.

The dress is long with a short train. It has some layers of lace, with beautiful embroidery details along the way. It has a modest cleavage, one that now shows my beautiful pendant. The back though, that's something for Edward. I knew he liked a naked back, so I designed it that way, with lace all around. It was also a nice detail, considering that most of the ceremony, guests get to see only the back of the dress.

"Perfect." Yet he never takes his eyes away from my face.

I smile, thinking that he hasn't even seen the back yet.

We stay like that, face to face, holding each other's hands, as we listen to the minister talk. If I'm honest, I'm barely listening to what he says. It's all pretty standard anyway. I just look at Edward, and he does the same.

I feel his fingers tracing my palms and then grazing my bracelet. When he does, he looks at it for a second before returning his eyes to me and quirks an eyebrow. I shrug, the bracelet might not fit the dress, but there was no way I was not wearing it.

We're just holding hands, but with every second his hands touch my skin, it gets more difficult to stop the urge to kiss him and touch more of him. I just want to feel his skin on mine and for a moment, I can't wait for the ceremony to end and everyone has gone home.

He smiles or winks at me and sometimes squeezes my hands. I do the same to him, giving him our secret signals.

At some point, Edward stumbles slightly forward, and with an irritated huff, turns to his back.

"What?"

"Dude, the vows and the ring," Emmett whispers loudly.

Just then, Edward seems to remember we are not alone.

I blush, so does he and the guests laugh lightly.

"Right, sorry."

We decided to stick to the standard vows and make it more of a simple ceremony. However, since there was so much to say, we also decided to recite our own vows, only to each other. There are things we felt were too private to share with everyone else, and in the end, it's the promises we make to each other that matter the most.

When it's time to exchange our rings, my hands are shaking. This is it, the last rings I'll ever wear. Proudly.

Edward brings the ring closer to my eyes first though, urging me to read the inscription. He said he knew exactly what he wanted there, but wouldn't let me see it until today.

_Little buttons change your life…_

I nod, agreeing with that short sentence. I close my eyes as tears fall and I've never felt more loved or complete than I do now.

When it's time for me to place the ring on his finger, I read the inscription and laugh.

… _and macarons make it sweeter_

Of course he would.

From the corner of my eye, I notice people trying to figure out what's happening. I giggle considering that only we know the inscriptions. This is really _our_ wedding.

"I do," he promises.

"I do," I vow.

The kiss is a little heated, and I feel him groan against my lips when he touches my back and notices that is naked.

This will be fun.

Two hours later, after we've had our photos taken, eaten our delicious cake and done the rounds to all the tables, we're dancing slowly.

My arms are around his neck, his around my hips and our foreheads together. I've taken off my shoes, and he took off his jacket, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. The air is a little warm, but one side of the tent is open to let the fresh air enter.

"I love you, _Madam_ Cullen."

"And I love you, you _macaron_ lover."

"You liked that?" He kisses my nose.

"Yeah, I love it. It's us."

He whispers the lyrics to the song to my ear and traces his hand on my back. I shiver and I hear him chuckle when I do. He's so smug, but two can play the game.

I kiss his neck and lightly nibble at his jaw. His grip on my hips tightens.

Now, _I_ chuckle.

"Let's go. I want to make one stop before going on our honeymoon." His voice is strained and I can only nod.

We say goodbye to our families and friends and leave.

We once again stop at a familiar spot: the fountain.

"What are we doing here?" I look around and see tiny lights on the trees and around the square. Some couples are sitting or walking around, much like every night.

"This is where every chapter of our lives seems to start, so I thought, why not this one as well?"

We stand in front of the fountain, and I feel his arm around me. I rest my head on his shoulder. It's so calm.

"Here, I have something for you." He reaches into his pocket and takes out a charm: a little button, like the cufflinks I gave him that he wore earlier.

"You're so cute, sometimes I can't stop smiling."

"Manly, Bella, I'm manly."

I hum.

"Also, I think we might start a new tradition." He takes two coins from his pocket.

"A wish?" I ask, and I stare at the one in my hand.

"Yeah, for good luck. You can never have too much of that, right?"

I close my eyes and grip the coin, thinking what could I wish. I have a great family, awesome friends, a career I want and the man I love. What else could I wish for?

I open my eyes and look at Edward. I know right then.

We both turn away from the fountain and toss the coins over our shoulders, hearing the tiny splash as they hit the water.

Later that night, we make love for the first time as husband and wife and whisper our vows against each other's skin, finally giving in to what we've been holding back all day long. Every touch and word intensified by the day's events.

And as I watch him sleep hours later, hair in disarray, skin sweaty and heated, I know that my wish will come true, no matter what happens from now on.

_I wish for a sweet life._

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

_Belly_

"What is it?" I hear Edward whisper.

I smile with my eyes closed as I run my hand through his hair. He's been doing that a lot lately: talking to my belly. My eight-months-along belly.

I feel his cheek on it as his hands massage my skin. His scruff makes me giggle and he chuckles softly. He knows what he's doing.

"You know she's not going to answer, right?" I ask, without opening my eyes.

"Of course not in a way you would think, Bella, but she answers in her own way."

I laugh, he's right. She loves his voice, _loves_ it. Edward tells her stories, sings songs and even reads the paper to her: the economy section. He says it's never too early for her to start learning.

I roll my eyes and keep on doing what I'm doing. I love it though: how he loves her without meeting her yet, how he can't wait to see her, how he talks to her as if she's here in front of him.

Right then, I feel a small flutter to my right. Right where Edward's face is rubbing my belly.

We had been married for almost three years when we found out we were having a baby. She was very much planned, and she couldn't have come in a more perfect moment.

Professionally, we were great, with my business flourishing and Edward taking new risks. As a couple, we couldn't be any closer. We took our time to be just the two of us: travel, stay up late, naked weekends in bed. Everything without the responsibility of having someone else waiting for us at home or having them interrupt us.

It was great.

However, little by little that feeling that something was missing started to grow. It wasn't the end of the world or anything, and it wasn't like were becoming unhappy with just each other. Quite the contrary, we were so happy; we felt we needed to share it.

A baby was the definition of the love we felt for each other.

After a few tries, we got pregnant.

I've never seen Edward as happy as he was when we stared at that positive pregnant test. From then on, he wanted to be present during every part of the pregnancy: going to the doctor's appointments with me, showing everyone the ultrasounds of our growing baby. He's even designing some things for her already.

I had been designing more for her as well, now that I have the time to do it.

After a little scare where I fainted when I was four months along, we decided it was best for me to step down for a while from the day-to-day business. I'm just there for the big decisions and once a week, I attend our staff meeting to let them know about new changes and stuff, but the more stressful things I leave for others.

The day I fainted, Edward had been beside himself, reasonably so, and it was the crippling fear that he might lose me and our baby that had made me consider stopping my work involvement for a while.

As much as I believed I could do it, the strain it would place on Edward was too much to bear.

All in all, it was a good decision. I had been so busy with expanding my business for the past few years that, ironically enough, designing had to take a second place to that. However, after taking this time off, I've been dedicating all my time to just drawing. It has been a breath of fresh air.

Nowadays though, all I feel is a desire to make sure everything is ready for our baby when she arrives. The girls have been helping me decorate and buy things, and we've had a lot of fun with that.

"Hello, baby girl? You love your Dad already," Edward murmurs against the spot where I felt the baby's kick.

"Are you sure about that? I mean, she kicks when you talk, maybe she wants to kick you in the face," I tease.

"What? No, not my girl. Right, Gigi?" He kisses my bare belly. I'm only wearing panties and one of Edward's shirts, which he opened up a bit. The summer is beginning, and I swear everything important in my life happens around this time.

There was no question that we'd know the sex of the baby beforehand. We wanted to be ready and with Edward over-thinking everything, even the name was a journey.

After much thinking, we decided to name her after Edward's grandmother, on his Mom's side: Georgine. The house we spent our time in the south of France belonged to her and it was a special place in our hearts as well. So, Gigi it is.

I feel another flutter in my belly and I laugh.

"We'll ask her when she gets here then," he says, and starts humming a low tune against my skin.

I keep rubbing his hair and close my eyes again.

I'm so happy, and like Edward, I can't wait to see our little girl. Who will she look like? What will her personality be like? I can't stop thinking about her future either. What will she be? A doctor? A designer like us? Lawyer? So many possibilities.

I wince a little; the flutter I just felt doesn't feel like Gigi's little kicks. Edward notices and is right on alert.

"What is it, Bella? Are you alright?" He's rubbing my belly and touching my face.

"Yeah, just a little discomfort. Nothing to worry about." I smile weakly at him and it's in moments like this that I miss Mom more than ever. I have Alice, Rose and Esme, and they're all mothers who give me advice, but none of those would compare to my own Mom's.

I've missed her so much since I found out I was pregnant.

Edward doesn't look very convinced but leaves it at that.

Hours later, in the middle of the night, the pain is stronger and more frequent. It's then that I realize that this baby will come tonight.

"Edward? I think we need to go to the hospital." That last word wakes him instantly, and without thought, he gets dressed and makes the necessary calls as I slowly get dressed and then sit on the bed.

This is it, the night our baby will come, but while I rub my belly, I can't help but worry about her.

"Shh, Bella. Don't worry, things will be okay, don't worry." He hugs me to his side, and I hadn't really realized that I had been crying until then.

"But it's almost a month early, Edward. She might not be ready yet," I cry.

"Everything will be okay. I promise you." I'm not sure if he's trying to convince himself or me.

Hours later, it's confirmed that the baby is coming. She's healthy and things are progressing nicely, which calms us greatly. It seems our baby is just eager to start her life with us.

Our families come and wait with us in the morning, and I try to take little naps whenever I can. The pain keeps increasing, so it becomes harder to do. Edward never leaves my side and is constantly touching me and kissing me. He asks the doctors a million questions, and I think he might know as much as them by the time Gigi comes.

He looks worried and is constantly frowning, his eyes going often to the monitors. I know he won't calm until we're both okay.

Then, the moment we've been waiting for months gets here and it's time for me to start pushing.

"Come on, Bella, you can do it. Just a few more pushes," the doctor says, and I want to punch him.

"I can't, I just can't," I cry and lean back. I feel like giving up already. I'm so tired.

"Please, baby, just a few more pushes. You're so, so strong." Edward leans his forehead against my temple. "You've taken care of her all this time, just a little more and she'll be here with us. We'll both take care of her then." He kisses me.

I turn a little and look at him. He has dark circles under his eyes, his hair is a mess and his clothes are all wrinkled. It's not that what catches my breath though, it's the look of worry and love and expectation he gives me. He really believes I'm this strong and can't wait to meet our little girl.

He loves her. He loves _us_.

"I love you," I say and lean a little forward, ready to start pushing again. This is not about me being tired, this is about our daughter and what comes next.

"I love you too. Now just a little more and we can meet our little Gigi."

With a few more pushes and a lot of screaming, our baby girl finally makes her early appearance. Her big wail fills the room, and I've never felt so much love as I did right then.

When they place her in my arms, all little and warm and so beautiful that I can't believe she came out of me, I kiss her over and over and look up at Edward.

"Perfect, Bella, this is perfect." He chokes on his words, not able to say more than that. He kisses Gigi's head and then my lips.

He still looks like a mess, but also so beautiful and proud, as tears run down his cheeks. I'm no better, I'm sure: sweaty, tired and sore.

Yet, I've never been happier.

* * *

><p><strong>And there ya go, sweet little moments of their lives together. To be honest, I never planned on writing these moments, but then one day I just couldn't stop myself.<strong>

**As you can see, all the outtakes have been posted in chronological order as things happened in LB… what do you think the next outtake will be about, then? ;-)**

**Also, many thanks to everyone who donated to the SU4K compilation. Cancer is something that touched my family recently and very closely, so I was honored to be a part of that. Anything to help find a cure. I donated two pieces for that compilation, which I'll post here at some point next year.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and have a nice week. :-)**


	9. Memories

**Hi, pretty ladies.**

**Thank you for **_**still**_** reading this crazy story, lol. I swear you are the best. Just saying. I'm glad you like the last outtake, just a little happy moments.**

**This outtake takes place a little bit into the future, something that never happened in LB. Hope you like it. There will be one more after this one, probably for next year, 'cause I started writing it recently (I know, I suck). After that, we'll be putting this story to sleep for good.**

**Many thanks to my beta Songster and her help in making these chapters readable.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Let's see what the hell is this…**

O~o~O~LBO~O~o~O

'**Memories'**

"Oh, sweetie. You look so beautiful in that dress," Mom says right next to me.

I run my hands over the soft fabric as she says the words. I can't help but smile at the reflection in the mirror in front of us: I look happy, excited… I look like a bride.

"Thank you, Mom," I choke. I don't think I can manage more than that right now.

The dress is exactly what I wanted: long and delicate, with small sparkly details adorning the fabric, making patterns under the lights. It fits me perfectly and it makes me feel beautiful and sexy.

I wouldn't expect anything else from the designers of it. After all, it was design by Edward and Isabella Cullen.

My parents.

I can't believe this day is here already. After months of planning and envisioning every detail, from the flowers to the napkins and color pattern, the day is finally here: the day I become a wife. It had been a stressful period, but just imagining how everything would look, and that I'd be starting a new chapter in my life, made it all worth it.

I turn a little and wrap my arm around my Mom's shoulders. She looks so tiny standing next to me and still gorgeous as ever.

At 54, she's the most beautiful woman I have ever seen: little wrinkles at the corner of her eyes and mouth, which only remind me of the way she's always smiling and laughing; silver strands mingling with her brown hair, which she shows with pride. 'No reason to hide the fact that I've lived' she often says.

And lived, she has.

Not only did she start her own designing business at 26, but she also survived the failures of it. She often mentions that as hard as those were, they made her see her own mistakes and improve her style and ideas. It paid off in the end, because after that, she consolidated herself in the fashion world and never looked back.

On top of all that, she took care of her family: a husband and three children. To this day, I don't know how she did it.

Three years after I was born, my brother Matt came into our lives. At the time, I had been curious about him. He was such a chill little dude, that I fell in love with him right away. We were a happy little family then: Mom and Dad working and still making time to play with us, taking us to the park or to walk around the city. Then two years after my brother was born, my sister Juliette came into our lives. I was ecstatic; I finally had a little sister to play with.

However, Juliette was far from being as chill as my brother.

I was five by then, and I just kept asking my parents if we could exchange her for a more quiet baby.

That never happened.

I shake my head at that thought. Here I am, years later and Juliette is my Maid of Honor: my little sis.

"What are you thinking?" Mom asks, looking up at me. We all got my Dad's height.

"Just remembering Juliette's early days at home. How whiny she was." I wrinkle my nose.

"Don't remind me," Mom groans. "I love her, but she was so different from you and your brother. If it weren't for your Dad, I would've been crying all the time."

"Well, she _is_ Daddy's little girl." Only Dad was able to calm her back then.

"Only your sister?" Mom quirks her eyebrow, as she looks at me from the mirror.

"Okay, okay." I roll my eyes. "I _might_ be Daddy's little girl as well." Who am I kidding? Both Juliette and I adore him. It didn't stop my sister from going all wild though; I'm pretty sure Dad lost some hair from pulling it so hard when she was a teenager.

I kiss Mom's temple. I might be Daddy's little girl, but Mom is certainly my role model. I remind her of that all the time. She's strong, independent, beautiful, graceful.

She set a high bar for us.

I look back at the mirror and see the sparkling diamond hanging from the delicate chain at my neck that Mom wore on her wedding day: Grandma Renee's diamond.

It makes me sad that she can't be here with us. I never met her, but, from all the stories Mom told us, I would've loved to. I know it makes Mom a little sad that Grandma wasn't there when she got married or when we were born, but she made peace with that fact years ago. Still, from time to time she gets this sad face when she sees photos of her. I just hug her, and thank God that I still have my Mom with me.

Looking at the necklace also reminds me of Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue. They came all the way from California to be here with us, and knowing that he can't travel that much anymore, makes it even more special.

He moved to California years ago, the weather was better as his bones started to ache more and more. I love getting photos of him and Grandma Sue at the beach with loose shirts and showing his skinny legs. Mom said he never would've worn that when she was little and that just goes to show how relaxed he has gotten.

We turn when there is a knock at the door and my sister comes in.

"Mom? Matt is looking for you. He seemed to have lost his tie." Juliette laughs.

"For crying out loud. I _just_ gave it to him," she keeps on muttering as she leaves the room.

"She will kill him." I laugh with my sister.

She looks so gorgeous today. Well, more gorgeous, anyway. My sister is beautiful any other day: tall and lean, with green eyes and brown hair. She could've been a model if she had wanted, but it just wasn't her thing.

Being a wild child was more of her thing: partying and going out with bad boys, getting a tattoo when she turned 18. Dad almost died when he found out.

She's 20 now and slowing down a little. I think it has a lot to do with her being in love now. Sebastian, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper's son, grounds her and somehow calms her wild spirit. They were born just a few months apart and formed a friendship early on.

Juliette looks more focused now and finally decided to go to college after delaying it for a year to travel.

Out of the three of us, Juliette is the only one who will follow our parents' paths.

I always loved to draw as I grew up, and according to my parents, I'm good at it. Then again, they _are_ parents, so no surprise there. I loved sitting next to Dad while I spent time filling pages and pages of drawings. I loved watching Mom concentrate when she sketched in the garden, the sunlight making her look all the more beautiful.

Our family is full of artists: designers, writers, dancers, musicians. Our lives were always filled with inspiration and music and colors. It was a great place to grow up.

However, that wasn't my calling after all. I went down a very different road: the stars.

When I was little, on summer nights, my parents used to go out in our backyard and dance to soft music so as to not wake us up. They didn't know that we were far from sleeping and actually loved watching them from my bedroom window in the second floor.

Mom would twirl and Dad would dip her, kissing her when she came up. We couldn't tell what they talked about, but they smiled the entire time. Dad would whisper something and Mom would giggle and playfully swat at his chest.

When they grew quieter and just slowly danced, I would look up to the sky and see the blanket of stars that covered the sky above them while they were in their little world. After they were done, Juliette and Matt would quickly run to their bedrooms, just in time for our parents to come check on us. I'm pretty sure they knew what was happening, though.

In time, starry nights became synonymous for those moments, and slowly that romantic notion of the stars transformed into curiosity and astronomy became my passion.

Now at 25, I will start a new life in California, at CalTech to start my PhD. Sometimes, I shudder to think about all the studying I have to do, and thank God I graduated early from high school.

I'm so scared, but happy at the same time. Dad had been a little sad about me moving so far away, but eased up a little considering that Grandpa also lives there. Having some family around makes it a little less scary.

It does make me sad that I won't be able to visit them on the weekends anymore, but just as Mom had to start a new life in a different country, Dad understands that I have to follow my passion as well.

"So, nervous, Sis?" Juliette asks me.

"Yeah, but happy." She smiles and I know she's thinking about Sebastian. She gets that dreamy look whenever she thinks of him. I wonder if I look the same.

We both turn again when we hear another knock and Dad peeks in.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, Daddy." I smile at him.

"Your Mom is looking for you, Juliette. Apparently your brother needs another tie, your dog took the one he was supposed to wear." He shakes his head.

"Oh, crap. Is Mom angry?" She looks scared as she heads for the door.

"What do you think?" Dad asks as Juliette leaves.

After she's gone, Dad stares at me for a moment, his eyes glistening a little.

"Oh, Gigi. You look beautiful." He comes to me and kisses my forehead.

"Come on, Dad. You've seen the dress before today." I shake my head.

"Yeah, but never on you. Your Mom was there with you all this time." That's true, they both designed it, but Mom was there for all the fittings.

He steps back and looks at me.

"I can't believe my little baby is getting married and moving across the world."

"Daddy, I know is far away, but you know we'll visit as much as we can. And why are you surprised about me getting married to Colin? Do you remember what I told you after my first date with him?" He groans and I laugh. I had been 18 at the time.

"You said he was sweeter than your Aunt Alice's _macarons_. Which was preposterous, by the way." He scowls.

"And what else did I say?" I urge him.

"That you were going to marry him someday and have what your mother and I have," he answers a little shyly.

I nod, that was true. Not only did I think that he was the sweetest boy in the world, treating me like I was the most beautiful girl, but I also _knew_ that he would be my husband.

I wanted what Mom and Dad had. I would never settle for anything else: the way they looked at each other, how in sync they were when they worked together, how a simple kiss from Mom would calm Dad immensely when he was stressed out.

They complemented each other perfectly.

"And today I get to make that dream come true." I kiss his cheek.

"I know, baby, I know." He sighs.

I know it's hard for him. He's used to having all of us close by, and now things will change, but they have to.

"Christ, I don't know how your Grandpa Charlie did this when I married your Mom."

I laugh.

"Well, he knew that you loved Mom and that you would take care of her no matter what, right?" I ask.

"Of course I would," he says almost insulted.

"Calm down, Daddy. What I mean is that he was giving his daughter away to a man he knew would love her and treat her the right way. A man that she loved back and would form a family with."

He nods.

"And that's what you're doing today, Daddy. I'm not leaving the family. I'm forming my own with a man that loves me to death, and that I can't imagine my life without." I feel my own tears trying to escape.

"I know, baby." He kisses my cheeks. "I know he loves you and will be good to you, but to a father no man is good enough for his daughter. It's just a fact." I laugh a little.

He hugs me tightly and I wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head on his chest. He smells of cologne and soap, and I feel so safe and warm like this. He's always made feel this way, like nothing could happen to me when he's around.

"Thank you," I whisper into his jacket.

"What for?"

"Everything, Daddy. The love you gave us, the freedom to be whoever we wanted to be, the incredible example of how a couple should be. You guys set some high standards." He laughs and I smile feeling the vibration against my cheek.

"Well, it hasn't been easy, your Mom is a handful."

"Hey! I heard that."

We both turn to the voice and see Mom wiping her cheeks next to the door.

"Well, you were not supposed to." Dad winks at me and after kissing the top of my head, goes to Mom.

"You're mean, Edward Cullen." She wraps her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry, baby. I don't want to be mean, never to you." He dips and kisses her lips.

And just like that, not only do I not exist to them, but also he just proved what I told him. That connection is what I want for myself.

Mom steps back and smiles up at him. The love she feels for him is so obvious: her face, her eyes, everything shines. Many times my friends have gushed about my parents and how cute they are. It was weird to hear other people talk about it, but I knew I was very lucky to have them.

Dad leans his forehead to hers, and they whisper to each other. I turn around this time. It was fascinating when I was a kid, but now it just feels like intruding.

While they are in their little world, I occupy my time fixing my make-up. Thank God, it wasn't ruined; Marie would've killed me.

My cousin helped me get ready today as well. She has experience with this sort of thing, as she often looks her best at her recitals.

After years of juggling ballet and playing piano, there came a point where Marie had to choose what to focus on. If she wanted to be the best, it had to be one or the other of them. After much thinking, she realized the answer was obvious– music.

It was in her blood, with Aunt Rose being a skilled piano player, and she didn't see herself doing anything else for the rest of her life. She's a natural, and after she made her choice, she became even better.

At 33, she has played all over the world and only becoming better and better. She's making a name for herself, and after she plays at the Vienna Philharmonic later this year, I'm sure she'll be unstoppable.

We will all be there, of course; Aunt Rose beaming with pride for Marie and Uncle Emmett, the most enthusiastic of all of us. He's always been one of Marie's biggest fans, taking her to her lessons or buying tickets for all of us to go to her concerts.

If I'm honest though, he's enthusiastic about all his kids. The twins had so much energy; Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose decided to focus that into sports. Dylan and Brandon chose soccer and have been playing since they were little. Apparently, the way they are in sync not only translated into pranks, but also on the field. With just a few nods, they were able to pass the ball and score without anyone touching them.

Uncle Emmett was at all their games, yelling and whistling and being louder than the entire section. In turn, my cousins would shake their asses to the audience whenever they scored and send kisses to the girls.

It was obvious they were quite popular in high school.

It was also interesting when they had to play opposite each other. They saw it as a challenge, and those games were the most nerve-wracking to watch.

Now at 25, Dylan is playing in Spain, and Brandon ended up going into sports' medicine. It seems after visiting Uncle Emmett's hospital so much, he developed a love for medicine that no one knew about. They travel to Spain to Dylan's big games and support him.

Uncle Emmett couldn't be more proud of his kids and the lives they lead.

"Okay, so are we ready?" I see Mom through the mirror as she asks. Dad looks even more nervous than me at those words.

"Yeah." I look at myself in the mirror and nod. This is it.

"I love you, Gigi." Mom hugs me tightly. "Be happy, my baby."

"I will, Mom." She looks at me for a few seconds, and after squeezing Dad's hand as she passes him, she leaves.

Dad comes to me, offering me his arm.

"Ready, Gigi?" I smile and take a big breath.

"Yeah."

"I love you, little princess. Always have and always will and if that boy treats you bad, just call, and I'll have Emmett kick his ass… and your brother and cousins." He smirks.

"Why not you? Huh?" I smile.

"Because I can't ruin this pretty face, Gigi." He waves at his face. "Your Mom would be pissed." I know he's trying to ease my nerves with his teasing, but I also see truth behind his words. He would kick Colin's ass.

"Come on, Daddy. Let's get me married." I kiss his cheek, and we head outside.

Hours later, as we drive away from the party, I see Mom and Dad hugging and waving at us. I let a few tears fall, but I'm immediately comforted when I feel my husband's hand twine with mine.

And as his eyes meet mine for a second, I'm certain that yes, I will have what my parents have had all these years: unconditional love.

* * *

><p><strong>And there ya go, a happy, happy life for all of them.<strong>

**The next outtake will wrap things up for this story… wonder what is about… Well, **_**I**_** know, but still. ;-)**

**Thanks for reading and have a great holiday season! See ya next year and I only wanna hear you had a good time. Don't drink and drive and just take care.**

**Have a nice weekend.**


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